Just the Two of Us
by HanakoWolf1717
Summary: Izaya Orihara and I became fast friends when we were growing up in Ikebukuro. However, as we grow up, we start to become more distant under unusual circumstances. Although, that hasn't stopped Izaya or me. We eventually end up falling for one another but I have to ask myself, "Is this just a dream?"
1. In The Beginning

"Just the Two of Us"

A "Durarara!" Story

To be completely honest, I didn't enjoy his company at first. I thought he was just another young man with cruel intentions. However, once I warmed up to him, I began to fall for him. I couldn't tell what he was thinking, but I could tell by his actions what he was trying to convey. Little by little, I began to fall for him and vice versa.

When I first met him, Izaya Orihara and I were both still little kids. We would always go around Ikebukuro, causing trouble for its residents. However, once we graduated from elementary school and started Jr. High, we became somewhat distant. I got information on his current status from his friend, Shinra Kishitani. Shinra was kind enough to schedule little "meetings" for me and Izaya during lunch breaks on the school roof. We began to "reconnect" and soon started high school together.

During our days in high school, Izaya and I began to help one another more often. He rarely came to school, but I would always walk to his place after school to give him homework or notes so he wouldn't fall behind. However, each time I visited him, his body would be covered in cuts and bruises. I would always ask him what had happened to him, and he never looked in my direction to answer. He just brushed the question off, like it was no big deal. However, to me, it was a big deal. I could tell he was hiding something from me, so, one night, I stayed with him.

The night I stayed with Izaya was just like a normal slumber party we always had as kids. Izaya was kind enough to give up his bed for me, but I refused and slept on the floor beside him. Before I was able to fall asleep, Izaya had grabbed a hold of my arm. I sat up, looked at his pale face, and brushed his black hair away from his eyes. His hand had such a firm grasp on my arm that I decided to silently crawl next to him. I smiled at his handsome face and bent over him to kiss his cheek. A deep smile formed across his face as his arms pulled me down. My head was resting upon his chest, and I listened to his gentle heart beating. I fell asleep with Izaya holding me firmly in his arms.

The next morning, Izaya had woken me up with a stir. He looked confused as to why I was sleeping with him. I told him what he had done in his sleep last night and he blushed. I giggled as he brushed my bangs away from my eyes. His reddish-brown eyes gazed into my eyes of seafoam green. He gently leaned into me, and pressed his lips against mine. That was my first kiss. He pulled his lips away slowly and rubbed my cheek with his hand.

"Rei, I..." Izaya stuttered.

"Izaya!" I cried as I pulled him on top of me.

"Rei, what are you-?" Izaya's words were cut off from my lips being pressed upon his.

Izaya had quickly pulled away and stared at me with anger in his eyes. I began to feel tears well up and stream down my cheeks. His expression changed into a slightly twisted form of sadness.

"Rei, I-I'm sorry..." Izaya whispered into my ear.

"Izaya, I love you," I looked into his reddish-brown eyes as I said this. "I've loved you for a while now, but we were just growing so distant. I hate it! Why are you not coming to school and where in the hell are all of those damn scratches and bruises coming from!?"

"Rei, I think it's best if you don't know..." Izaya said with upset eyes.

"I don't give a damn! Tell me!"

"I've been fighting with someone - more like a rivalry if you will." Izaya sat up and I did, too. "I have no exact reason as to why we're trying to kill one another, we just are. The person I'm trying to kill is Shizu-chan."

"Wait, you're trying to kill a girl? And for what?!"

"Shizu-chan isn't a girl, he's just someone I've hated ever since I've laid eyes on him."

"So, this "Shizu-chan" is really a guy?"

"Yeah," Izaya's eyes lit up as he looked at me. "I wouldn't mess with him, though. He's gotta be the toughest man in Ikebukuro, well, besides me."

"WOW! Now I really want to meet him! Can you introduce me?"

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Izaya gazed into my eyes. "If he sees me, I'll have to run. I don't want you to get caught in the crosshairs of one of our 'arguments'."

"Then, I'll-"

"NO! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Izaya shouted. "I don't want you to wind up getting hurt!"

"Izaya," I said as he held me tightly in his arms. "You're squeezing me a little too tight!"

"Sorry!" Izaya quickly let me go. "I just don't want something bad to happen to you! I don't wanna risk it!"

"Izaya, just introduce me." I looked up at him slowly as our eyes met. "That's all I'm asking. Please!"

"Fine!" Izaya said with a sigh. "Maybe Monday Shinra can help me in introducing you to Shizu-chan?"

"Oh, thank you so much!" I gave Izaya a big hug and kissed his cheek. "I guess I'll see you on Monday?!"

"It's a promise, Rei."


	2. Introduction Gone Wrong!

"Just the Two of Us"

Introduction Gone Wrong

On Monday, I walked up to Shinra Kishitani and decided to ask him to introduce me to Shizuo. He just looked at me with a cute smile across his face. His silvery-grey eyes sparkled behind his glistening glasses. He tilted his head ever so slightly and nodded. I hugged him at his desk and awaited until school was over.

Walking out with Shinra after school, I looked towards the field as I heard a loud banging noise. Scanning the field, their was one young man among many who had fallen before his hand. The young man was a little rugged but handsome. His clothes were tattered, his hair was dripping with sweat, and his eyes were full of lustful anger and aggression. The man had wiped his brow and fixed his dirty-blonde hair so that it hung over his eyes.

"Shinra, who is that!?" I asked with caution.

"That's the guy Izaya was telling you about," Shinra whispered in my ear. "That's Shizuo Heiwajima."

"Can I talk to him?"

"Sure," Shinra said with a smirk. "He won't bite. Trust me."

I got the courage to move my shaking legs and steadily walk up to Shizuo. He looked at me with a confused look in his eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Shizuo asked with an angered expression. "More importantly, what the hell do you want?!"

"Well, I just wanted to say hello..." I said, giving Shizuo my best smile.

"Shizuo," Shinra interrupted. "This is Rei Anami. She was in our Jr. High, same as Izaya Orihara."

Shizuo suddenly pushed me aside and grabbed a hold of Shinra's Raira Academy uniform collar. Shizuo's expression became a twisted form of aggression when Shinra said Izaya's name.

"Wait a minute, Shizuo," Shinra redirected Shizuo to my direction. "There's a young lady in our presence. No need to fight right now..."

"You're right," Shizuo Heiwajima pushed Shinra away from him. "You're not the one I want to kill. IT'S THAT DAMN FLEA, IZAYA ORIHARA!"

Shizuo looked back over at me and glanced back at the window on the third floor of the school building. I grabbed a hold of his arm to distract Shizuo back to our conversation. I looked up at Shizuo's brown eyes and he sighed. He looked over at Shinra and gave him a slight smile.

"Sorry about that, Shinra," Shizuo said to Shinra once the tension in the air had settled. He looked at me with a gentle smile and brushed his dirty-blonde hair away from his eyes with his hand. "I really hate violence... I just can't control my anger sometimes..."

I gave Shizuo a weary smile in response.

"Awfully quiet, isn't she?" Shizuo whispered to Shinra.

"Not always," Shinra whispered back to Shizuo. "I guess you must've scared her?"

I nodded in Shinra's direction and suddenly fell to my knees. Shinra had rushed to my side and knelt down beside me, extending his hand to me. With his other hand, he brushed my forehead and cheeks.

"Rei, you're burning up!" Shinra said softly. "We've gotta get you to the nurse's office!"

"I'll take her," a deep and familiar voice called out to Shinra.

I looked up to see who it was and Izaya Orihara was across the field.

"No way, you pesky little flea!" Shizuo roared in Izaya's direction. "You'll hurt her!"

"Spare me the details, Shizu-chan," Izaya stated with a smirk across his face. "You'll hurt her worse than I ever would. Besides, you wouldn't hurt an innocent young lady, would you?"

Shizuo growled under his breath as he picked me up gently in his arms. I rested my head against his broad shoulder and looked over at Izaya with glistening eyes.

Izaya had steadily walked across the field as I noticed a devilish smile form from his lips when he was face-to-face with Shizuo. I reached out to try and grab hold of Izaya's red shirt but fell out of Shizuo's arms and into Izaya's.

"I'll take her, Shizu-chan," Izaya said with a smile. "We'll continue this little conversation another time."

Walking away with me in his arms, Izaya headed towards the nurse's office. He laid me down atop one of the beds when he noticed the nurse's room was empty. He took up a chair and sat beside my bedside, holding my hand.

"Did he hurt you?" Izaya whispered to me softly.

I shook my head in response.

"Shizu-chan, did he offend you?" Izaya asked.

"No, he didn't do anything, Izaya," I said with a raspy voice. "I told you that I just wanted to talk to him, so I did."

Izaya had moved from the chair and onto my bed. He leaned over me gently and his lips planted a kiss on my cheek.

"Damn, I knew you weren't feeling like yourself, but I've never seen you this sick!" Izaya teased me. "You're really warm! Maybe I should take you home?"

"Do whatever you feel is best, Izaya," I said as I looked into his reddish-brown eyes.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to take you home."

Izaya had picked me up and carried me all the way to my house. He noticed that the door was unlocked so he just let himself in. He carried me up to my bedroom and opened the window to keep my body temperature cooled down. Izaya had eventually brought me up some water along with medicine and a cold washcloth for my forehead. He helped me take my medicine and kissed my lips gently. I nearly slapped him but noticed that he was giving me water by his mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck as Izaya had forced his tounge into my mouth. He deepened the kiss by caressing my cheek with his hand. His lips parted away from mine as I let go of the back of his neck. He looked at me with a passionate smile before he rested his head against my chest. I buried my fingers into his black locks as he muffled a moan into my chest. I let go as he quickly shot up and took a breath of air. He looked at me with a gentle smile and leaned into me once again. He began to gently kiss my lips and my cheeks softly. He made his way from my left cheek down to the nape in my neck. I soft moan escaped from my lips and Izaya gave me a distorted smirk across his face. He continued to kiss my neck as I buried my hands into his hair once again. The sensation of his lips against my skin sent chills down my spine. He began to lift my shirt but I pushed him off the side of my bed with all my strength. Izaya's body crashed against the bamboo floor, his head hit the top of my dresser. I looked down at him, his head covered in blood. Blood stained my dresser and oozed onto the floor from Izaya's wound. I quickly got out of bed and got down to look at Izaya's wound. Pulling his hair back, I could see a gash on the side of his head. I placed the wet washcloth Izaya used for me on his wound. It quickly became dyed in crimson and blood began to stream down Izaya's handsome face and my hands.

"Izaya?" I tried calling out to him in desperation. "Izaya!? Wake up!"

Izaya slowly began to open his eyes, the blood now reaching his chin and dripping down his throat. He glanced up at me and forcefully shoved me down against the floor. His eyes were wild with rage as he crawled on top of me. He suddenly pulled a switchblade from his back pocket in his pants and held it against my neck. He growled at me like a wild dog as spit trickled down his chin and splattered onto my cheek. I let moans escape my throat and tears fall from my face. Izaya had suddenly grabbed me by my throat and pulled the arm holding the blade back. I knew I was about to die. Izaya suddenly yelled at the top of his lungs and drove his blade into the bamboo floor beside my head. Tears were streaming down Izaya's cheeks in frustration and disgust for what he had almost done. He let his grip on my throat go and just sat on the floor, his hands in his face. I used this chance to slip away from him and observed him from a distance. He let out several painful screams and banged his fist against the floor. I looked over at him and slowly made my way behind him. I crouched down and embraced Izaya, holding him firmly in my arms from behind. Izaya's fitting rage had settled down as he looked over his shoulder and began crying again.

"I'm so sorry, Rei," Izaya said muffled into his hands. "I don't know what came over me! I just...snapped... Will you ever...forgive me, Rei?"

"I forgive you, Izaya," I stated, still shaken up by what just happened. "I'll be here for you. Whatever you want or need, I'll always be here for you. Just...don't do that again!"

Izaya had looked at me from over his shoulder and gave me a shaken smile. I returned it with a weary smile and kissed his bloody lips. He looked at me, almost as if he was studying my face. He gave me a big smile and kissed my lips gently. I kissed his lips back and we were both wrapped in each other's arms.


	3. Graduation With Unusual Circumstances

"Graduation With Unusual Circumstances"

Almost two years after the 'incident' with Izaya's rage, we began to think more about our future together as our graduation was only a half a year away. I became stressed over the exams we were going to be taking within the next week, so Izaya and I had decided to help one another and studied together. We both ended up passing our exams with flying colors and we would hang out during school more often. Izaya was also coming to school more often these days. Most of the time, however, he used school as an excuse to see me. He told me this was because after school he was constantly fighting with Shizuo Heiwajima. I really didn't think much of their rivalry anymore, except for the fact that Izaya was constantly covered in scratches and his body is covered in scars from his many fights with Shizuo.

One day, Shinra had invited me to stay with him after school to study with him. It was our final exam before graduation, and Shinra asked if I could help him. Of course, I couldn't turn a friend away, so I walked to his apartment after school ended. To my amazement, the door was open when I got to Shinra's apartment space. I found Izaya sitting on the couch and Shinra was in a room hidden behind glass. I couldn't make out the dark figure he was talking to, so I shook it off and decided to scare Izaya instead. Closing in on him from behind, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. Izaya jumped out of his seat, and I was pushed backwards.

"What the hell!?" Izaya shouted in a panic. "Oh, Rei. I'm sorry. I didn't notice it was you..."

"I just wanted to surprise you, Izaya," I said, looking up at his awkward stare. "I guess it sorta worked..."

"Heh, let me help you up," Izaya said with a chuckle. He helped me stand and I glanced over at Shinra in the other room. "Oh, yeah. You haven't been properly introduced to Shinra's roommate, have you?"

I shook my head and Izaya took my hand in his. He walked up to the door of the room and knocked his hand against the door softly. The doorknob turned and Shinra had a happy expression on his face.

"I'm so happy you're here, Rei!" Shinra yelled happily, caressing me in a bear hug. He let me go as he continued. "Oh, yeah. Whatever you do, don't scream!"

I gave Shinra an awkward expression on my face in response. Izaya instinctively covered my mouth with his firm hands. He nodded in Shinra's direction and Shinra moved aside. A beautiful young adult women that was dressed in a black jumpsuit and a biker helmet just glanced at me. It was almost as if she was peering into my soul... She suddenly removed her helmet and I noticed that she had no head, just a smoke-like substance that oozed from her neck. I screamed into Izaya's hands covering my mouth. I suddenly felt Izaya's firm lips press against mine after he motioned his hand away from my mouth. I pushed him away from me and slapped his cheek.

"Okay," I said glancing at Shinra. "Who or what is that woman?!"

"Her name is-" Izaya blurted out. I looked over my shoulder and saw Izaya rubbing his cheek. I stared into his eyes with anger and Izaya shut his mouth.

"'Celty'", Shinra said with joy. "And she's what is known as a Dullahan from Irish folklore. Almost like a goddess of death."

I looked up at the woman with amazement. I don't know how, but I could tell that she was looking at me, even though she didn't have a head. She flashed a cellphone with a message on it. It read, "Hello. It is a pleasure to meet you, Rei Anami."

"Nice to meet you too, Celty," I said with a smile. "Shinra, you wanted to study?"

"Yeah," He said with a gentle nod. "Let's go into the living room. Izaya, I'll get you some ice for your cheek."

"I DON'T NEED IT!" Izaya roared at Shinra. "I'll be fine."

We all walked out of the cramped room and into the living room. Celty said that she had to run some errands and that she would be back in a while. Shinra gave her a smile and we all told her to be safe. Shinra later tried handing Izaya a plastic bag of ice for his cheek, but he slapped it out of Shinra's hand. The bag burst open, getting water and melted ice across the floor.

"I told you before, I don't need it!" Izaya yelled in Shinra's direction.

"Izaya, I didn't mean to slap you like that..." I whispered to Izaya.

"Shut the hell up, Rei!" Izaya yelled at me.

"Hey, hey, HEY!" Shinra yelled at Izaya. "Don't fight, you two! I hate to admit it, but you two act like a couple of grade school kids..."

"WE DO NOT ACT LIKE GRADE SCHOOL KIDS!" Izaya and I said in unison. We both looked at each other and burst out laughing like maniacs.

"Hey, Shinra," Izaya calmly stated once our laughing subsided. "Do you mind leaving us alone for a minute?"

"Yeah," Shinra said with a happy expression on his face. "I'll be in my room studying..."

When Izaya heard Shinra slowly close the door to his study, he looked at me with a dumbfounded smirk across his handsome face. He suddenly pulled me in towards his body and embraced me gently. Izaya laid my body across Shinra's couch and began kissing my lips firmly. My body was hot as Izaya made his way down my neck, giving me butterfly kisses that sent chills down my spine. I let a few low moans escape from my lips as Izaya stopped kissing me once he reached my collarbone.

"Izaya," I called out to him in a whisper. "I..."

"It's all right," Izaya said, sitting upright beside me. "I won't force you to do something you don't want to do, Rei. Trust me, I learned my lesson last time!"

"It's fine, Izaya," I gave Izaya a big grin. "But, I've been thinking about you and our future together..."

"Are you saying that you want to live with me?" Izaya asked back in an odd tone.

"Well, maybe after we graduate high school, we could..."

"It would be an honor to invite you over to my place anytime you want, Rei."

"I...I would like that very much, Izaya!" I said as I threw my arms around him. I landed on top of him and kissed his lips. "I... I-I love you, Izaya Orihara..."

"R-R-Rei!" Izaya said looking into my eyes. "I-I-i love you as well, Rei Anami."

I placed my head on Izaya's chest and he dug his fingers into my brown locks. I blushed as Izaya stroked my hair gently. Izaya suddenly sat up and held me in his arms. I began kissing Izaya's neck and I heard soft moans escape from his lips. Once I reached his collarbone, I stopped kissing his neck. He looked at me in an unsatisfied way with a hint of lust in his eyes. Izaya kissed my lips and abruptly motioned away from Shinra's couch to Shinra's study. He knocked on the door and told Shinra that he was going to leave, and I walked up to Shinra and gave him a big hug for letting me meet Celty. I walked outside of Shinra's apartment and waited for Izaya. A few minutes later, he appeared from Shinra's apartment entrance and took my hand in his. He walked me back home and kissed my lips.

Graduation wasn't without it's flaws, however. I barely passed my final exam with a "C", and shortly after our graduation ceremony, I was inevitably dragged into another one Izaya's fights with Shizuo.

"IZAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAA!" I heard Shizuo yell as Izaya grabbed my arm and pulled me close towards his body. "YOU'RE DEAD, YOU BASTARD!"

"Sorry, Shizu-chan," Izaya calmly called out to Shizuo. "But I can't stay and chat. Gotta go!"

"Izaya," I stated with concern in my voice. "CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?"

"Yeah," Izaya stated as we turned into an alleyway. "I'm leaving Ikebukuro, and I wanted to take you with me."

"Where will we go?" I asked as Izaya took me in his arms. "And what about our families? They'll worry and-"

"Don't worry about them," Izaya said in a monotone voice. "Already taken care of. Don't worry about anything. Just rest in my arms for now, Rei."

"But, I-"

"Shush..." Izaya kissed my lips. "You'll be fine. Just rest for now, okay?"

"O...okay..."

After that, I fell asleep and lost consciousness.

When I woke up, I was in an apartment building that I wasn't familiar with. I found myself lying in bed with Izaya cuddling next to me. He snapped himself awake and looked at me with a smile across his handsome face. He patted my head and caressed my cheek gently.

"I'm glad to see that my princess is finally awake," Izaya stated as he kissed my lips. "I couldn't really sleep all too well, with all the noise outside among other things..."

"Well," I said giving Izaya a big smile. "That's what you get for being a light sleeper!"

"Anyway," Izaya said sitting upright and stretching his arms. "Do you want anything to eat?"

"Not really," I said with a laugh as my stomach growled.

"'Not really', huh?" Izaya teased with a smile. "Well, how about crab or ramen?"

"It doesn't matter to me," I said with a dumbfounded smile. "Izaya, where are we anyway? You promised to tell me everything once we got here, but where exactly is 'here'?"

"Relax, Rei," Izaya reassured me. "We're in Shinjuku."

"Shinjuku?!" I said in disbelief as I made my way to an unfamiliar kitchen and dining room table. "How in the hell did you run while carrying me all the way to Shinjuku?"

"I didn't." Izaya said as he followed me and sat at the table. "We took the train from Ikebukuro Station."

"That makes some sense..." I said with a grin.

"Well, besides getting food," Izaya said as he took up a chair beside me at the table. "Is there any place you want to check out or go sightseeing?"

"Now that you mention it," I said as I looked into Izaya's eyes. "I've always wanted to walk around Shinjuku Gyoen National Park."

"Sure, Rei," Izaya smirked as he looked up at the clock above the T.V. in the next room. "Let's go before it gets late. And while we're out, we can eat at any place you choose."

Izaya and I walked hand in hand through Shinjuku Gyoen National Park. The cherry blossoms were in bloom, and they were made even more beautiful by the sunset in the distance. As we exited the park, Izaya pinned me under a tall cherry blossom tree and kissed me. We walked towards the closest cafe and ate inside. Afterwards, Izaya and I walked home together, side by side and holding each other's hand.

When we got back to our apartment, I decided to take a long bath. Whenever I was finished with my bath, I got dressed into comfortable pajamas and saw Izaya sitting on the couch watching the evening news. I walked up to where he was and sat down beside him. At that moment, I noticed that I was blushing because that was the first time I saw Izaya Orihara without a shirt. He looked at me out the corner of his eye, turned off the T.V., and walked into the bedroom. I followed him, as I became weary, and I crawled into bed alongside Izaya. I snuggled close towards his body and gently laid my hands upon his chest. I kissed him good night as Izaya wrapped his arms around my body. The last thing I saw before I shut my eyes was the smirk across Izaya's handsome face and the lust in his reddish-brown eyes.


	4. Living With a Handsome Sociopath

"Living with a Handsome Sociopath"

I awoke the next morning to find that Izaya was gone. It startled me at first, but I wasn't really afraid because I knew that he could take care of himself. With a low yawn, I crawled out of bed and made my way into the kitchen. On the table, I noticed a little note folded up with the pen beside it. I unfolded the slip of paper and sat down at the table, relying on the sunlight through the kitchen window to read it.

"My Dearest Rei, I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back in a few hours. If you need me, call my cellphone. With Never-ending Love, Izaya Orihara"

I re-read the note aloud to myself as I walked from the kitchen and into the bedroom to grab my cellphone on the nightstand. I ogled the screen and saw that I had one message, but to my disappointment, it wasn't from Izaya. It was from Celty. I read the message to myself and it was along the following lines:

"Hey, Rei. It's me, Celty Sturlurson. I wanted to check on you and Izaya later this afternoon. I'm on a job right now, but I'll swing by later with Shinra."

I put my phone in my pocket and made my way to the living room. I turned on the T.V. and began watching some random story on the news. It wasn't very interesting, nor was I even interested. At that moment, I heard a gentle knocking on the door. I got up and carefully motioned my way towards the door. I looked through the peak hole and noticed that Izaya had returned with a strange briefcase in his left hand. I unlocked the door and let him in, kissing his lips as he walked through the door.

"You look happy to see me," Izaya teased as me patted my head with his free hand. "Is something wrong, Rei? You look kinda shocked."

"No I'm fine, Izaya," I lied as I blushed. "What is that thing?"

"What? This thing?" Izaya placed the briefcase on the table. "This is none of your concern, Rei."

"I wanna know!" I pouted.

"You can't," Izaya blocked my view of the case. "It's secret information for a private corporation!"

"Let me see!"

"Rei, you cant! It's dangerous!"

I growled at Izaya and pouted. "I just wanna take a peek!"

"I said 'no'!" Izaya shoved me to the ground.

"Izaya, what's gotten into you?!" I roared as I got to my feet. "You've been hiding something from me, haven't you!?"

"It's not like that," Izaya said with a sly stone in his voice.

"FUCK YOU!" I slapped Izaya's cheek with tears welling up in my eyes.

"Rei..." Izaya whispered as he touched his cheek. "I just don't want you to get hurt if I tell you what I've been doing these past three years... I just don't know where to start..."

"NO! I don't want to hear it!" I yelled as I ran into the bedroom and locked the door. "Just leave me alone!"

"Rei," I heard Izaya's voice from the other side of the door. "I have my reasons for not telling you the truth. I just don't want you to get hurt..."

"FINE!" I pouted as I cautiously unlocked the door and let Izaya in the bedroom. "Just start from the beginning, okay?"

"Well, that's the thing that's troubling me..." Izaya said with a weary expression on his face. "You must not tell anyone this. Do you promise, Rei?"

"I promise," I said as I kissed Izaya's cheek. "So, exactly what have you gotten yourself mixed up in these past three years?"

"It's complicated..." Izaya said giving me a weary smile. "To make a long story short, I've become an 'informant' of sorts. Seeking and gambling on valuable information of international business."

"That's why you weren't coming to school as often in the past," I mumbled to myself. "Is that why you were gone when I woke up? You had business with someone?"

"Yeah," Izaya embraced me in a tight hug. "Only a handful of people know what I've been doing. But it's a good thing I'm doing. I'm not just doing this for money we need, but also for valuable information and connections."

"You've got to be the smartest person I know, Izaya," I said with a smile. "Oh, yeah. Celty Sturlurson said that she was bringing Shinra over for a visit. Should we make dinner for them or take them out to eat?"

"Well, when will they be here?" Izaya gave me a questionable look.

"The message I got from her was a little over an hour ago," I said taking my cellphone from my pocket and taking another look at the message. "They could be here any minute, really... So, that rules out making dinner..."

"Going out to eat isn't a problem," Izaya said with his usual smirk. "We can let them pick what and where to eat. I'll pay for the bill, seeing as we have enough for not only rent but a little bit of everything."

I heard a faint knocking sound coming from the front door. I walked past the kitchen and into the living room, watching the news. Izaya got the door and Celty Sturlurson and Shinra Kishitani were at our doorstep. Izaya welcomed them inside as Shinra rushed to my side.

"Hey, Rei!" Shinra said as he gave me a bear hug. "It's been a while! How are you and Izaya holding up?"

Celty walked up to Shinra and pulled him off to the side by his cheek. I thought it was rather cute, seeing the two of them together. Celty then sat next to me on the couch, pulling her cellphone from her shadowy jumpsuit. She began typing and shoved the cellphone in my face.

"Sorry about that... Shinra has been so excited to see you again."

"Oh that's fine, Celty. I've missed seeing you and Shinra all the time." I said with a nervous smile.

"How's Izaya treating you? He hasn't hurt you in any way, has he?" Celty showed me her phone message again.

"Not really," I said as Izaya sat down beside me. "He's quite well behaved!"

"What do you mean by 'well behaved'?" Izaya said as he threw an arm around my shoulders. "What am I, your pet?!"

"No, that's not what I meant!" I said with an anxious smile and a blush. "You're great company to be around and-"

"CELTY!" I heard Shinra yell as he hugged Celty from behind. "My adorable little Dullahan~!"

"If we're going out to eat, we should hurry before it gets dark." I looked up at Izaya with an awkward smile.

"Alright," Izaya stated with a crooked smirk. "Where do you want to eat at, Shinra, Celty?"

"Doesn't matter to me!" Shinra said, rubbing his cheek against Celty's shoulder.

After jabbing Shinra in the ribs, Celty pulled out her phone and began typing: "Wherever is fine by me. Any place that's not too fancy..."

"That settles it then," Izaya said as he motioned away from the couch. "But we all have to walk and the closest place with an indoor seating is two miles away."

"No problem," Shinra said, recovering from his bruised ribs. "I'll call someone who owns a cab. He's more like an old friend..."

"Whatever..." Izaya stretched his arms. "I just hope he gets here quickly!"

"Something wrong, Izaya?" Celty shoved her cellphone in Izaya's face. "You seem irritable tonight."

"No, nothing like that," Izaya said with a smile in Celty's direction. "I'm actually fond of you and Shinra. You two have a beautiful connection between one another. I can tell that you truly love Shinra, Celty."

"What!?" Celty shoved her phone in Izaya's face. "That's not true, nor none of your business!"

"Oh dear Celty, but it IS my business," Izaya's voice was full of sarcasm. "Even though you don't have a face, I can still read your body language. It's quite clear that you adore and treasure Shinra."

"Okay! You figured me out!" Celty shivered as she showed Izaya and me her phone. "I've actually been in love with Shinra for a while now. I just don't know how to tell him without freaking out!"

"Just tell him how you feel by being yourself, Celty," I said as I gave the Dullahan a hug. "Don't rush things, though. And if you need anything, just ask me or Izaya."

"Since when did you become an expert on love, Rei?" Izaya teased me.

"You're one to talk, Izaya! Keeping secrets from me for three years!" I barked back.

"I did that to protect you!" Izaya snapped back at me with anger in his eyes. "I didn't want you to end up getting caught up in my mistakes and having to pay for them in pain and misery!"

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA!" Shinra bursted back into the living room. "What's wrong with you two?! I thought we were going to have a nice evening tonight!?"

Celty then motioned between me and Izaya, trying to calm Izaya down and keep me calm. It thankfully worked, and before we knew it, we were at the restaurant. We ate at a nice, yet quiet, sushi restaurant with the best sushi I've ever eaten! After we ate, we went back to Izaya's apartment and watched a horror movie. Celty and Shinra took up one side of the couch and me and Izaya on the other side. Even though I've seen this movie over twenty times, the part where the monster chews off the human's face ALWAYS gets to me. I squeaked and buried my head in Izaya's chest. He seemed kinda shocked but consoled me anyway. He patted my back and told me it was just a work of fiction.

After the movie was over, it was almost midnight. Celty and Shinra decided to sleep on the couch and stay just for the night. However, Izaya wanted them gone by sunrise. He said that he had made plans for a business partner of his to visit sometime tomorrow afternoon. Celty and Shinra agreed and eventually fell asleep wrapped up in one another. Izaya pulled me into our bedroom with excitement. He closed the door and crawled on top of me. He began to kiss my lips and made his way down to my neck. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled Izaya's body closer towards mine. He suddenly tore away from my grip, sat upright, and stripped off his dark shirt. He got back down to my level and began kissing my lips once again. With my hands, I began to lightly trace over his muscles and abs. His body was sleek yet sturdy at the same time. I then felt his back and began to kiss at Izaya's throat once he tore his lips away from mine. Izaya's soft moans sent chills down my spine and excited my body. Izaya took me in his arms and sat us both upright. He looked into my eyes for a few seconds, and with lustful eyes, he began to scan over my body. I knew what he desperately wanted above all else right now, but I didn't think it was such a good idea... I slowly shoved Izaya away from me and blushed with dreary eyes. It was almost as if Izaya could tell what I was thinking, so he pushed me back against the bedsheets. Izaya then grabbed his shirt and handed it to me. He laid his body down beside mine and pulled the covers up to our shoulders. I fell asleep not long after, taking in Izaya's handsome scent from his shirt and his skin...


	5. Intoxicating Scents of Love

"Intoxicating Scents of Love"

I awoke with a stir, looking straight into Izaya's sleeping face. His arms were wrapped around my back and his legs were entangled within mine. I motioned closer towards him and planted a kiss upon his lips. Izaya's eyes snapped open, and, in a daze, he lifted his grip on my body. He sat upright and looked at me from over his shoulder. I sat up beside Izaya and kissed his neck. I saw him blush out the corner of my eye and leaned my shoulder against his. I rested my head on his shoulder and his left hand on my shoulder.

"Still tired, Rei?" Izaya asked me softly.

"Just a little," I said with a small laugh. "Your body is really nice..."

"Well," Izaya stated looking down at me. "I'd better start making breakfast for us."

"Mmmmm..." I sighed under my breath as Izaya laid my body across the bed. "Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes."

I watched as Izaya got off the bed and walked into the kitchen. I got myself up and walked into the kitchen. I watched Izaya as he cooked for a moment and sat down at the table. I looked into the living room and noticed that Celty and Shinra were already gone. I focused my sights on Izaya as he handed me a plate full of scrambled eggs, sausage, and crispy bacon. Izaya then handed me the salt and a fork and quickly fixed himself a plate. He pulled up a chair after he turned off the stove and we ate together. I knew Izaya knew how to cook, but this was exquisitely delicious! After we both finished eating, Izaya took up our plates and silverware and began washing the dishes. I looked over his shoulder when he was done and he whispered to me to sit on the couch. I did just that ans Izaya sat down beside me. He turned on the T.V. and started watching the news.

"Nothing interesting is on," Izaya sighed. "Do you want to watch a movie instead?"

"Oh, I'm just fine, Izaya," I smiled at his as he kissed my cheek. "We can watch whatever. It doesn't matter to me."

"You're too cute to ignore, Rei," Izaya leaned into me and kissed my lips gently. "You really are beautiful."

"Oh, stop," I blushed. "You're just teasing me, now..."

"No, I'm not," Izaya whispered as he tussled my hair.

"Yes, you are!" I pouted. "You're treating me like a kid."

"Because you're too damn sweet."

"Oh, yeah, when is that business guy coming over?"

"In less than an hour," Izaya glanced at the clock. "He won't bite unless you taunt him!"

"Oh, so this guy is like you?" I glanced at Izaya out the corner of my eye.

"WHAT!?" Izaya shouted as he got up from the couch to face me. "YOU'RE one to talk, Rei! Always yanking my chain like I'm some kind of animal! WHAT THE HELL!?"

"Izaya," I said as I got up from the couch. I pulled him back onto the couch and I got on top of him. "I'm NOT yanking your chain! I'm NOT trying to jerk you around or hurt you! I just...I just don't want to provoke you, nor vice versa. So, don't try provoking me, because I won't be able to stop myself..."

Tears began to fall from my eyes and gently splattered onto Izaya's cheek. I felt Izaya put his firm hands on my cheeks and wipe away my tears. He then placed his hands around me neck as I leaned in to kiss his lips. After the kiss, I slowly got off Izaya and walked into our bedroom. I noticed Izaya's shirt from last night was in between the sheets. I picked it up and tossed it into our laundry basket. I walked back towards the living room and watched him from over the edge of the couch. I looked at him with a smile and I patted his head when I reached the edge. He looked up at me with an annoyed look as I planted my chin atop his raven hair.

"What the hell do you think your doing?" Izaya expression turned into a scowl.

"Izaya, I'm so booooooooooored!" I frowned as I climbed over the couch and slumped onto the cushions. "There's nothing to do."

"Why don't we go shopping?" Izaya patted my head that was burrowed into the cushions. "I'll let you pick out whatever you want."

"No, I think I'll pass," I muffled into the cushions. "Thanks for the offer, though."

"You certain, Rei?" Izaya smirked as I lifted my head to see his expression. "You look like you really want to go."

"Yeah, I'm fine," I sighed heavily. "We can go some other time."

"Okay, suit yourself," Izaya mumbled loud enough for me to hear. "Maybe we can go again next weekend?"

"Whatever," I moaned under my breath.

Suddenly, a loud knocking sound came from beyond the front door of our apartment. I quickly got up, scrambling to get to my feet. Izaya got up from the couch and pulled me up by my arm. I sighed at him, standing on my own two feet. The knocking became progressively louder and more persistent as I ripped my arm from Izaya's grasp. I walked into the bedroom and shut the door, hearing Izaya open up the front door slowly. I heard a low, monotone voice coming from the living room. I slowly opened the bedroom door and peeked at the person Izaya had business with. His facial features were rugged and he had an agitated expression. I decided to rest while Izaya was doing business with this man, until I heard Izaya's beautiful voice from the living room. I then heard Izaya bursting in maniacal laughter, yet his laughter sounded 'hollow' and empty. It startled me as it suddenly sank in that the Izaya I know now and the Izaya I once knew are two completely different people.

I suddenly heard the door slam as I walked out of the bedroom and into the living room. I witnessed Izaya from a distance as he buried his face with his hands. I cautiously approached him and sat adjacent from him. Izaya lifted his head and gave me a weary expression. My eyes became locked on his, if only for an instant. The tint of red in his eyes seemed to glow as Izaya's gaze became fixated upon my own. He shot up, walked over towards the front door, locked the door, and walked to where I was on the couch. He extended a hand out to me and I gently took his hand. He pulled me up and embraced me, running his fingers through my light brown locks. I was startled by Izaya's gesture at first, but I soon found myself kissing his neck and ruffling my fingers through his raven-black hair. He then away slightly, pulling my lips closer towards his. My mouth was agape, at a complete loss for words when I felt Izaya's tongue slip into my mouth. My eyes widened in surprise, as I began to let subtle moans escape from my throat. I could feel Izaya's moans as well, his tongue clashing with mine for dominance. I could feel Izaya push me onto the couch, his legs entangled within my own. I rubbed the back of Izaya's neck with one hand and tugged on the back of Izaya's shirt with the other. Izaya then pulled his lips away from mine, the both of us gasping for air. Izaya gave me a devious grin, his eyes softened and the red glow in his eyes shined brighter. He ruffled my hair and looked deeply into my eyes of seafoam green. Izaya leaned just over my ear and whispered, "Rei, I love you so much".

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I shot up out of desperation, breathing heavily as my senses returned. I looked around and noticed that I was in the bedroom of mine and Izaya's apartment. It was dark, but I could still make out a few features of the room. I looked down over my shoulder to see Izaya sleeping peacefully beside me. I ran a hand against the back of my neck and checked my forehead.

'Maybe...it really was just a damn dream... right?!' I thought to myself as I looked down at my hands in my lap. 'Then again... maybe it wasn't...?'


	6. Left in the Dark?

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Sorry that this chapter is late, everyone. My siblings have started school once again and I've just been sleeping in all day... I just graduated so I should find some time to eventually finish this story of mine, not to mention my Wolf's Rain FanFiction later... As always, if you have any requests or would like to see something different in my story, let me know by writing a review.

Thanks in advance! HanakoWolf1717

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Left in the Dark

The next few weeks for Izaya and I were basically normal, like when we were kids growing up. I started today off looking at the food in front of my face, and Izaya's handsome smirk out the corner of my eye made me blush. He playfully poked my cheek with his finger, teasing me like always. My brow twitched in frustration, but I merely shook him off by giving him a scowl. I growled under my breath and snapped my teeth in Izaya's direction. He quickly Pulled his hand back and my head dropped to the table. A small jolt of pain hit my forehead, and I quickly covered my head with my hands, wincing in pain.

"Owwwwwww!" I cried as I noticed Izaya out the corner of my eye. He let a low chuckle erupt from his throat and it slowly turned to maniacal laughter. "It's not funny, Izaya! Stop teasing me!"

"I wasn't laughing _at_ you," Izaya stated when his laughter subsided. "I was merely laughing _with_ you."

"What's THAT supposed to mean!?" I said as I glared at him. "Well...?"

"It's nothing for you to get all worked up about," Izaya taunted as he ruffled my hair. "Now, you said you wanted to go out later, right?"

"Yeah," I said as I took his hand in mine. "I actually wanted to see how Celty and Shinra are doing. I wanted to stay with them for a couple of days, while you do you work going back and forth between Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. Is that fine with you, Izaya?"

"You really don't have to ask me about things like that," Izaya said as he headed for the bedroom. "Just give me a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay," I said as the sound of running water flooded my ears.

 _'I guess he's taking a shower before we head out?'_

I quickly finished the last of my breakfast and quickly washed my dish and utensil. I walked into the bedroom and peered into the door leading into the bathroom. I blushed as I noticed Izaya stripping off his shirt. He looked at me from over his shoulder with a maniacal grin across his face. He chuckled as he threw his shirt to the floor and walked towards me. He stopped just inches away from my face and smirked.

"What's wrong?" I asked Izaya in a polite manner. "What's with that smile?"

"I'm just admiring your beautiful face, Rei," Izaya's smirk widened as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Is it wrong to admire the one I love most?"

"No, but...it's kinda creepy..." I looked straight up at him as the red in Izaya's eyes flickered for an instant. "I mean, the way you've been acting lately is the complete opposite of when we were kids... I don't like it at all, Izaya. It's scaring me..."

"I didn't mean to scare you," Izaya's hand slowly made its way upon my cheek. "You really haven't changed since we were children, but I'm a completely different and more _complex_ individual. Not just in the physical sense but also that in of my mental state. I'm not saying that I'm sick, just that I look at things in a _different_ way than most people would assume."

I gave Izaya a blank stare as I was at a loss for words.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Izaya slipped his hand away from my cheek in seconds. "I've got to get ready to take you to see Shinra and Celty in a few minutes. Just...watch T.V. for a little while, okay?"

"Okay, I guess," I said as I made my way back to the living room.

I sat down on the couch and grabbed the remote to the T.V. that was set on the table. Pushing the power button, the T.V. screen flashed and the image of a dog appeared on the screen. I began to flip from channel to channel until I found a news story on the current events that were occurring in Ikebukuro. It looked interesting, so I decided to make myself comfortable and watched the program for about ten minutes or so. I then noticed a couple around thirty, talking about the recent gang violence in their neighborhood. Taking a closer look at the television screen, I squinted my eyes as a sensation of familiarity overcame me. I took a deep breath and realised that the couple was actually Izaya's parents! My jaw hit the floor as I suddenly got up from the couch and rushed to the bedroom. I opened the door to the bathroom, and blushed as I saw Izaya getting out of the bathtub...without a towel. My face turned completely red and Izaya didn't seem to notice that I was at the door. My mouth was agape and I was stunned, frozen in place. Izaya lifted his head and noticed me, his eyes locked with mine. He blushed, covering himself with his towel hanging up beside him. He then drained the tub full of water, and walked up to me. He studied my face for a few seconds and smirked.

"You seem awfully happy," Izaya said in a teasing demeanor. "You seem surprised, too. You like what you see?"

"What the hell does that have to do with ANYTHING!?" I yelled as I stared into Izaya's eyes. "I just saw you naked! What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"There must have been a reason as to why you rushed in here unannounced, Rei," Izaya's tone changed to an irritable one. "Is something the matter?"

"Yeah, there is," I said, focusing my thoughts back to the living room. "Come with me for a minute."

I led Izaya into the living room and sat down on the couch. I took up the remote in one hand and turned up the volume. Luckily, the news report was still on and Izaya's parents were still the focus of the story. I looked over at Izaya as he slumped in his seat next to me on the couch. His eyes widened when he saw his parents' faces on the screen.

"What the hell is this?" Izaya leaned forward, covering his mouth and chin with his hand. "I thought they were studying overseas! What about Mairu and Kururi?!"

"Who are they, Izaya?" I said as I looked at him with a confused look. "Are they your siblings?"

"Yes," Izaya sighed. "They're also twins. You've met them before, remember? The last time you visited me?"

"Yeah, now I remember!" I said as the twins came onto the screen. "Awwwwwwwwwwe! Aren't they just adorable?!"

"They have gotten a little bigger, haven't they?" Izaya threw his arm around my shoulders. "We'll visit them in the next few weeks and see how they're doing."

"All right," I said as the twins grabbed a hold of the camera and started fumbling with it. "Maybe they can stay here with us for a few days while your parents are away?"

"I guess so, but when I have to leave for work in Ikebukuro, you'll be here alone with them for a little while..."

"I don't mind, Izaya," I smiled at the thought. "It's almost as if they're our children. You practically raised them when they were younger, right?"

"Of course I raised them," Izaya said as he glanced at me in a happy demeanor. "Our parents were constantly overseas with work. They sure are growing up. Well, I've gotta get dressed. I'll be out in about five minutes, Rei."

Izaya got up and I heard the door to our bedroom slam shut. I continued to watch the story on Izaya's parents until I heard him open the bedroom door a few minutes later. I turned off the television and got up from the couch. I looked at Izaya, clad in dark clothing. He smiled at me as he took my hand in his. He unlocked the door and we locked it again on our way out. Outside of our apartment, a black car was waiting for us. Izaya opened the door on my side and I slid across the back seat. Izaya got in once I was comfortable and sat down beside me. The drive from Shinjuku to Ikebukuro took a few minutes, but we finally made it to Shinra's apartment.

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Once inside Shinra's apartment, Celty welcomed Izaya and I on the couch. Shinra was startled when I gave him a hug, but he gradually embraced me back. We sat on the couch together, almost as if we were family. We began to talk about what each of us has been going through in the past few weeks, and Celty's stories were always the best!

"Would you mind staying for dinner?" Shinra said as he looked up at Izaya. "It's getting late, and Celty and I wanted to show our gratitude for having us stay at your place last time."

"That sounds wonderful," I replied with a heavenly smile. "Thank you very much for this, Shinra."

"No problem!" Shinra smiled back. "Celty, would you be so kind as to getting our guests some homemade soup?"

Celty nodded and walked into the kitchen. She set the table for us and tugged on Shinra's sleeve when she was finished. We all sat down at the table and ate a delectable dinner of fried rice, topped with ham and boiled eggs. After dinner, Shinra and Celty wanted to watch a movie with Izaya and I. We watched a romantic comedy, that was apparently Shinra's favorite movie, due to the fact Shinra was laughing so damn hard that he cried - twice! Even though Izaya didn't seem very interested in the movie, he gave me subtle kisses and hugs throughout its runtime. After the movie, Izaya wanted to leave, but Shinra insisted that we stay for the night. Shinra and Izaya took their little squabble into Shinra's study, which left me and Celty alone in the living room.

"Celty," I cautiously approached the female Dullahan. "How's Shinra treating you?"

"Shinra has been treating me with respect thus far," the Dullahan typed away on her cellphone. "To be honest, he's become more of a proper gentleman these past few days. I wonder why the change of heart and what the hell made his behavior towards me change... Usually, he will try to have his way with me, but I don't let that happen by bruising his body. It's really strange..."

"Don't worry, Celty," I reassured the Dullahan. "I'm certain that Shinra will go back to 'normal' in a few days or so... Try to take advantage of the opportunity while it lasts, though."

"Sure thing, Rei," Celty showed me her cellphone screen. "Has Izaya Orihara done anything to you as of late?"

"Not really," I lied to the Dullahan. "He has been dropping little 'hints' each time we get ready for bed, but I just...don't think that we should have that type of relationship just yet. He has just been really stubborn with it lately, like every night."

"Have you told him this, Rei?"

"No, not yet. I want to tell him, but I've realized that he's restrained himself for nearly three weeks!" I sighed as I felt Celty lay a consoling hand upon my shoulder. "I just...don't know how to tell him without becoming nervous..."

"Just tell him how you feel, Rei," Celty shoved her phone in my face. "I'm certain that Izaya would understand how you feel. He loves you, right?"

"Yeah, he does. Thanks, Celty!" I patted the Dullahan's back. "You give the best advice! Thank you very much!"

"You're welcome, Rei," Celty flashed her phone in my face. "By the way, you wanted to stay with me and Shinra next week, right?"

"Is that okay with Shinra?" I asked politely. "If not, I can stay with someone else."

"No, no, no!" Celty 'sighed' as she handed me her phone. "I'm certain that Shinra would love to have you over for a while. Besides, I can help you with cooking and you can help me with keeping Shinra under control."

"Sounds like a deal," I shook the Dullahan's firm hand. I hugged her as I continued, "Thank you so much, Celty!"

"No problem," Celty showed me her phone screen after our hug ended. "You're like family to Shinra and I. You're welcome to stay here for as long as you wish."

I smiled at the Dullahan and walked up to the entrance of Shinra's study. I knocked upon the door and heard Shinra's voice luring me inside.

"Are you ready to go home, Rei," Izaya stated as he walked towards my direction. "Or would you rather stay the night here?"

"It really doesn't make that much of a difference, Izaya," I said in a nonchalant attitude. "Wherever we go is fine by me. Just so long as you're by my side, I know I'll be alright."

"You just made a tremendous confession to my face just now," Izaya embraced me as he said this. "I feel the same way you do, Rei. I love you for that."

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" Shinra eagerly cheered. "You two are just super adorable together!"

"SHINNNNNRRRRRRRAAAAAA!" Celty ferociously typed on her phone as she pulled Shinra by his cheek. "Can't you stop being so damn awkward for two lousy minutes?!"

"Not really..." Shinra mumbled while Celty dragged him out of the study. "I just can't help myself when I see those two! They really are a perfect match for one another, besides their little disagreements!"

"Well, we've better get going," Izaya growled under his breath. "We will see you two next week, all right?"

Izaya took my hand within his as we said our goodbyes to Shinra and Celty. Izaya insisted that we walked home, to admire the beautiful sunset. As we walked down alleyways and took several 'shortcurts', Izaya found the best place to take a photo with me - the local park. Standing under a tree with nobody watching, Izaya pulled out his cellphone and took a beautiful picture of himself holding me in his arms with the tree, falling leaves, and the setting Sun in the background. Izaya then put his phone away and pulled my body closer towards his. Looking deeply into my seafoam green eyes, Izaya leaned forward and pressed his lips against mine. I then felt his tongue enter my mouth and Izaya pushed my body against the bark of the tree. I felt Izaya's lips separate from mine, with a small trickle of spit rolling down Izaya's chin. He licked it away with his tongue as the red tint in his eyes glowed brighter and brighter.

"Izaya, I have something to tell you," I said with a hesitant sigh. "I just don't know how to tell you without you freaking out and making somewhat of a big deal out of it..."

"You can tell me whatever you want, Rei," Izaya reassured me with an usual smile. "However, from the sound of it, you seem like this issue won't be resolved easily."

"I guess you can think about it like that," I stared up at Izaya as the red flickered in his irises. "I just don't think that this is the time and place for what I truly have to say... Can it wait until we get home, when we have some privacy?"

"Yeah, I guess it could wait until then," Izaya grasped my hand as we began walking up the street to our apartment.

Izaya pulled his key from his pocket and unlocked the door. Once inside, I took off my jacket and headed for the bedroom. I hung my jacket in the closet and walked into the living room, motioning Izaya to sit next to me. Izaya had a baffled look on his face, but he took a seat next to me on the couch.

"What was it that you wanted to talk about?" Izaya sneered as he pulled me close. "You've been acting strangely. Is something wrong with you, Rei?"

"Nothing's wrong with me," I said as I looked into Izaya's eyes. "It's just that... you being a guy and all... I just wish that you would stop trying to have your way with me! I find it rather disgusting and degrading."

"From what you said and _how_ you said it," Izaya said with a blank look on his face. "I thought that you were trying to convey that you were pregnant."

"H...h...HOW EXACTLY CAN I BE PREGNANT WHEN I'VE NEVER HAD SEX!?" I yelled at Izaya and punched his shoulder.

"Wait a minute," Izaya calmed me down. "You've never had sex?"

"Oh, and you have!?" I growled in frustration.

"Well," Izaya rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous manner. "Not necessarily."

"See what I mean," I said in an agitated tone. "Anyway, I just don't think that we need it in our relationship at the moment."

"You could've just said something and I would've stopped, Rei."

"You tried to pressure me into it for the last three weeks!"

"No, I wasn't, Rei! I was trying to console you for me being absent during the day due to my work as an informant."

"Ohhhhhhhh..." I sighed as I walked to our bedroom. "I just misunderstood you and your judgement... Sorry, Izaya."

"No, it's my fault," Izaya followed me and sat down on the bed. "I was jumping to idiotic conclusions and accusations."

"Let's just drop it," I said as I got comfortable under the bedsheets. "We can talk more about this tomorrow morning."

"It's a deal," Izaya said, kissing my lips gently. "From this moment on, I swear to not jump to assumptions."

"I'll try my best to let you in a little more on my problems," I whispered as Izaya curled his body beside mine. "Who knows, maybe we can eventually do 'it'..."

"Maybe," Izaya whispered in my ear. "We'll just have to wait and see..."

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE (AGAIN):** I know. I literally just went there with these characters. Hey, Izaya is a man with needs! *Ahem* Anyways, I think that this type of character development is a good thing for this story. If not, prove me wrong by providing your comments below in a review on Izaya's and Rei's relationship. As always, thank you very much for reading, and I'll see you guys in the next chapter! じゃね (Goodbye!)

HanakoWolf1717


	7. Newly Acquired Company

Newly Acquired Company

I awoke to the feeling of my body being gently shaken by firm hands. My eyes snapped open; my vision still blurry. Once my sight cleared, I saw that Izaya had a happy expression on his face. His lips were curled into a smile as he playfully patted my messed up hair.

"Come on, Rei," Izaya said in a happy tone. "Time to get up! Celty is waiting for you in the living room."

"Celty!?" I yawned as I got out of bed. "Why is she here?"

"To take you to Shinra's, remember!?" Izaya's tone became rough and slightly agitated. "You have got to get yourself dressed. I've already packed you five sets of clothes for the week and four nighttime outfits."

"You didn't have to do that..." I said as I walked into the bathroom and locked the door. I noticed a folded pair of clothes setting on top of the stand next to the sink.

"Yes, I DID," Izaya growled at me from beyond the door. "You went to bed early last night and you forgot to pack your clothes beforehand!"

"Oh, I didn't realize that I was so sleepy..." I said as I threw on my shirt. "I must've forgotten about it."

"Well, it doesn't really matter now. All that matters is that you are safe with Celty and Shinra while I'm gone."

"Okay, Izaya," I said with a sigh as I exited the bathroom and made my way to the living room. I noticed Celty Sturlurson on the couch and struck up a conversation with the friendly Dullahan. "Hello, Celty."

"Hello, to you too, Rei," Celty showed me her phone screen. "Are you ready to go? Shinra is waiting for you at our apartment."

"Yes, I'm ready when you are," I said as I took a duffel bag from Izaya's hands. "I guess I'll see you in a week or so, Izaya."

"Remember, don't be afraid to call me when you're ready to come home." Izaya laid his hands upon my shoulders. "If you want or need anything while I'm away, don't be afraid to ask me or Celty."

"All right," I pulled Izaya in for a hug. "Just do me one favor: come home safely and in one piece."

Izaya pushed me away and kissed my cheek. "I promise, Rei."

I walked outside of the apartment, with both Celty and Izaya by my side. Celty typed something for Izaya and he chuckled.

"I'm fine with using my own methods for that, Celty. However," Izaya's eyes glowed with anger for an instant. "If ANYTHING - and I MEAN ANYTHING - happens to Rei while in your care, you'll regret it!"

 _I wonder what Celty 'said' that made Izaya snap like that? He's usually upbeat and good about not letting his anger get the better of him..._

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Once again, Shinra had barraged me with hugs, and more recently, medical questions. It startled me at first, but I got used to it and Celty took care of the rest. Soon after lunchtime, we had somewhat of an 'unexpected visitor'...

The doorbell rang, out of the blue. Shinra disappeared to answer the door, while Celty and I sat on the couch watching the news. Shinra's voice was loud, but I didn't really mind it...at least, that's what I thought at first.

"Okay, okay!" Shinra yelled in a happy manner. "You can just take a seat on the couch..."

I turned my head to see a familiar blonde-headed man dressed in a bartender outfit. He took a seat beside me, his eyes shielded by his purple-blue tinted sunglasses. I could tell that he was looking at me out the corner of his eye, as he slowly leaned into me and took in my scent. He slowly backed away from me with a growl erupting from his throat.

"That smell," the man said as he slipped off his sunglasses and tucked them away in his suit. "I know that scent plain as day. I HATE THIS SCENT!"

"Why don't you just calm down!?" Celty typed on her phone and showed the screen to the blonde-haired man, climbing over me gently. "Please!? Just this once?"

"Yeah, okay," the man said with an exasperated sigh. "How've you been Celty?"

"I'm doing just fine," the Dullahan replied. "Oh, yeah. You said that Rei, this girl here, had an odd 'scent'? What do you mean by that?"

"Dammit, don't you remember ANYTHING!?" The man growled under his breath. "It's the same scent as that damn flea, Izaya Orihara!"

"Now I remember you!" I said with a yelp. "Y-y-y-you're...YOU'RE Shizuo Heiwajima!"

"Yeah, that's me," Shizuo said bluntly. "Just who the hell are you and why do you smell like that damn flea!?"

"You really don't remember me?" I sighed as I continued. "It's me, Shizuo. Rei Anami, from high school. We were in the same graduating class."

"Now I remember," Shizuo said, stretching his arms against the back of the couch. "You still haven't told me why you smell like you do."

"Actually, Shizuo," I said with a blush. "I have been living with Izaya Orihara for the past few weeks."

"I heard from your parents that you were dead. I thought that Izaya had manipulated you like he did me." Shizuo lowered his head, his hair covering his eyes. "I also had another theory: you and that flea were having sex."

My mouth was agape and I was completely caught off guard.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT!?" I yelled at Shizuo. "THAT'S THREE TIMES IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS PEOPLE HAVE THOUGHT THAT!"

"You mean, you haven't-"

"No!" I yelled again. "I just live with him. That's it!"

"Celty, can you give us a few minutes?" Shizuo said to the Dullahan.

Celty 'nodded', got up, and walked into Shinra's room.

Shizuo gave me a faint smile and I returned the favor. I moved a little closer towards Shizuo, and we began to catch up on what has happened to us over the past month or so. Apparently, Shizuo had a stroke of bad luck with his recent jobs and got fired for...reasons he didn't wish to mention. His job as of now, he couldn't tell me.

"Shizuo, I can tell that you're hiding something from me."

"Why say that?" Shizuo said with a cocky smile. "You sensed it, too, didn't you? The first day we met?"

"Sensed what, Shizuo?"

"Well, it's hard to say this," Shizuo leaned in real close to me, his face inches from mine. I just...don't know how to say it properly..."

"What is it, Shizuo?" I asked as he gently gripped my shoulders firmly with his hands. "You can tell me anything."

"Rei, I...I love you."

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Yeah, yeah! Don't kill me, reviewing people! I left this chapter off at a cliffhanger for a reason. Trust me, I know what I'm doing! Then again, if there are those of you who think that I should make the relationship between Rei Anami and Shizu-chan a "thing", write a review. Who knows. Maybe it can be a spin-off? As always, I'll update again soon! じゃね (Goodbye!)

HanakoWolf1717


	8. Torn Between Two Animals

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Konnichiwa, my fellow readers and followers! It has been a while since I updated this story. In this chapter, if you couldn't tell by the title already, is about Rei being forced to make some sort of desperation in making a decision. What that is exactly is what you guys and gals will have to read to find out! Happy reading and I'll see you at the end of this chapter!

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Torn Between Two Animals

"Rei, I... I love you," Shizuo's grip on my shoulders became rough. My eyes were wild with bewilderment as Shizuo leaned in closer to me. "Please, forgive me for this..."

Shizuo's lips were just inches from mine. I was trembling at the thought of what Izaya would think if he found out that Shizuo Heiwajima tried to kiss me! In a split second, I raised a firm hand and slapped Shizuo's cheek. Shizuo's expression twisted into one of shock as his cheek became red.

"What...the hell?" Shizuo gasped as he slowly backed away from me. He rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand and glanced at me out the corner of his eye. "Rei, I thought that-"

"I don't wanna hear your excuses!" I roared as I poked at Shizuo's right cheek with my index finger. "Why did you try to kiss me just now!?"

"Well, for one thing, your scent is driving me crazy..." Shizuo sighed as I continued to poke him.

"My scent?!" I said as I suddenly stopped poking Shizuo's cheek. I smelled the back of my hand and...I smelled nothing. "What about it?"

"It's killing me." Shizuo's eyes met mine for an instant. "Everything about a nice girl like yourself living with a DAMN FLEA LIKE HIM IS MY PROBLEM!"

"Shizuo..." I tried to calm Shizuo's anger by tugging at his shirt. "Please, calm down!"

"I just don't want you to end up getting hurt by someone as controlling and manipulative has 'him'!" Shizuo looked at me with a hint of fear in his eyes, something I have never seen before. "His flaws are worse than mine when it boils down to paying the consequences!"

"Shizuo, I...I had no idea that you felt this way..." I said with a shaky voice. "You DO know that I can take care of myself, right?"

"Yes, but I still don't think that he's safe for you to be around, Rei."

"Why do you think that is?"

"It's because he's framed me once before for something I didn't do..." Shizuo sighed as he looked deeply into my eyes. "I don't remember all the details, but Izaya Orihara framed me for a crime I didn't commit. The police had a hard time catching me, though - due to my brute strength and use of force. But, once the cops saw I was innocent, Izaya had already exited Ikebukuro. He said something about you and that he took up an apartment in Shinjuku, but that's about it... I heard a rumor from your folks that you were dead - that Izaya had tricked you into killing yourself. I couldn't get my act together during that time!"

"Shizuo, why would Izaya say something so cruel?" I choked on the words as my voice started to tremble.

"I just told you! He's a MANIPULATIVE AND SLY DOG!" Shizuo raised his voice in anger. " _Why!?_ WHY would you want to live with someone like him!?"

"Izaya Orihara has done nothing wrong to me," I said as I put most of my weight on Shizuo's shoulder. "Besides, if he ever did something like that, then I'd live here. I'd stay with Celty and Shinra."

"Rei, I think that it's best if you do stay here with Celty and Shinra," Shizuo shook me off his shoulder and looked down on me. "For your own safety and protection."

I looked up at Shizuo's face and noticed that his eyes were calm. We stared at one another for a minute or two until I jumped at the sound of the doorbell ringing. Celty then answered the door and a familiar voice called out my name. I ducked my head and burrowed my face into Shizuo's shirt. He seemed startled by my gesture, but once he heard that familiar voice, I heard a low growl escape from his throat.

"Well, well, well..." the familiar voice said as it inched closer towards the back of the couch. "If it isn't Shizu-chan! What brings you here?"

"Izaya, what business do you have here?" Shizuo roared back as I buried my head deeper into Shizuo's shirt. He let a grunt escape his lips as he tussled my hair gently. "Since you're here, I might as well beat the shit out of you!"

"No, no, Shizu-chan," Izaya taunted with an exasperated sigh. "I'm not here for that! I'm here to see Shinra about some personal business..."

I lifted my head up as I felt a hand pat my head. I looked at Izaya with a blank expression, but his was one of disgust. He glanced at Shizuo then back at me.

"Leave her alone, flea," Shizuo growled at Izaya.

"From the looks of it," Izaya said with a chuckle. "I'd say that you two are quite comfortable together. I might as well join you two."

"There's not enough room for all three of us," Shizuo said with a sigh. "Besides, I don't think that Rei wants to see you right now."

"Rei, is this true?" Izaya said as he crouched down to my level and gave me a weary expression. "If there's something causing you pain, just let me know and I'll deal with it. Especially if it's Shizu-chan."

"N-nothing is wrong, Izaya," I said as I slid off of Shizuo's shirt and landed in his lap. I blushed and Izaya noticed, giving me a scowl. "I just needed some time away from you for a while, THAT'S why I wanted to come here."

"You needed some time away from me?" Izaya teased. "Rei, I-"

"SHUT UP, FLEA!" Shizuo yelled in Izaya's direction. "HAVEN'T YOU CAUSED REI MORE THAN ENOUGH TROUBLE!?"

"Izaya, Shizuo, stop fighting, please," I said as I sat up slowly. "BOTH OF YOU, JUST-JUST SHUT UP!"

Both Izaya and Shizuo looked at me in bewilderment. I looked straight into Izaya's eyes, seeing the tint of red in his eyes shine brightly. Izaya slowly got to his feet and cocked his head to the side, giving me a smile.

"Well, I've better get going, Rei, and if Shizu-chan gives you any kind of trouble," Izaya said as he took a blade from his jacket sleeve and held the blade's edge against Shizuo's neck. "I won't hesitate to kill him-or anyone else for that matter!"

"You wouldn't dare," Shizuo growled under his breath.

"Oh, Shizu-chan, I WILL kill you if given the chance," Izaya motioned his blade away from Shizuo's throat and waved it around in the air. "Rei is MINE, and I won't let you - nor anyone else - take her away from me!"

With that, Izaya had left after talking to Shinra. He looked back at me from over his shoulder as he walked outside of Shinra's apartment. His lips curled back into a devilish grin and his eyes narrowed slightly into slits. I blushed as he left and took an exhausted sigh when I heard the door shut behind Izaya. I looked up at Shizuo Heiwajima, staring at his brownish-grey eyes. He seemed to notice and stared directly into my green eyes.

"Seriously, though," Shizuo sighed out of bewilderment. "Why do you still hang around someone like Izaya? Especially after he threatened to kill me just now!"

"Well, I..." I said as I looked down at my hands in my lap. "He's just a little overprotective, I guess?"

"He held a knife to my throat! What more evidence do you need, Rei!?" Shizuo's voice began to erupt louder and louder with each word that left his lips. "And another thing - THAT wasn't being 'overprotective', THAT was being 'over obsessive'!"

I just gave Shizuo a blank stare, my eyes became empty for a moment. The words that left his lips continued to resonate in my mind. Izaya's glossy red eyes were locked into my head, his lips still curled into a devilish grin. My vision blurred, and I felt a tear stream down my left cheek. I noticed Shizuo's warm hand upon my shoulder, and I looked up at his face. His eyes were full of concern and sadness. I inched closer towards his body, my hands clinging to his shirt. Shizuo's comforting arms wrapped around my shoulders, stretching across my back. I buried my head into his chest once again, feeling his hands cling to the back of my shirt.

"Shizuo Heiwajima?" I asked with my face buried under his chest.

"Yes, Rei?" I heard Shizuo whisper into my shoulder as he bent over my body.

"T-thank you..." I managed to choke out before more tears flowed from my eyes.

Shizuo lifted his grip on my body and I let go of my grip on him. His lips were in such a sweet smile, I giggled. Shizuo then whipped away my tears with his hand and gently caressed my cheek. He then leaned into me really close, and smiled at me once again.

"Rei, may I ask you something?" Shizuo whispered to me.

"Ask me whatever you want," I blushed as Shizuo became inches away from me once again.

"Would you mind if I was to kiss you?" I saw faint blush marks on Shizuo's cheeks.

"Not at all," I blindly stated.

Shizuo was just inches from my lips, but he turned my head to the side slightly, planting his soft lips on my left cheek. I blushed a bright red, and Shizuo couldn't help but notice out the corner of his eye. Shizuo slowly pulled himself away from me and gently placed his lips upon mine. I noticed how soft his lips were compared to Izaya's! I suddenly felt Shizuo pull away and I looked up at him in bewilderment. I blushed a bright red ONCE AGAIN, and Shizuo just looked at me bluntly.

"YOU seem quite surprised, Rei," Shizuo stated bluntly.

"WHAT DID YOU EXPECT!?" I yelled. "IZAYA'S NOT AS GOOD A KISSER AS YOU!"

"Wait! What did you just say?" Shizuo said, shocked.

"I said that you were a much better kisser than Izaya..."

"Rei, you just made a confession to me just now," Shizuo growled under his breath. "And now, you have a choice to make."

"Whatever do you mean, Shizuo?"

"It's either Izaya Orihara or me," Shizuo looked straight into my eyes. "It's your decision to make, Rei."

"I really don't know what to say, Shizuo..."

"Why don't you stay at my place tonight?"

"Shizuo, I made a promise to stay here with Celty and Shinra for the time being. At least until Izaya comes back."

"It's just ONE NIGHT!" Shizuo scoffed. "Besides, it's not like Izaya is going to know!"

"But, I..." I shivered as Shizuo put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm not going to pressure you, though," Shizuo said with a sigh. "I'm not like that damn flea, Izaya. It's your choice, Rei."

"Fine. I'll go with you - but only for tonight!" I whispered to Shizuo happily with a smile.

"All right," Shizuo said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Tell Shinra that I'm taking you out for dinner and that if it gets to be too late, that I'll have you home by morning."

"Okay," I said as I stood up and told Shinra and Celty that I was going out with Shizuo. They didn't seem to mind, and I took up my bag in one hand. "Let's go, Shizuo!"

I handed Shizuo my bag, and he took it in an instant. We headed out the door of Shinra's apartment, and started to walk around Ikebukuro in a happy manner.

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Okay, fellow readers and other people. I think I might go back and change the shipping notice with this little story. If you think that Shizuo and Rei could STILL be "a thing", let me know. Who knows, I might even make Rei become the source of the reasons as to why Shizu-chan and Izaya fight in later chapters! I might even make you, the readers, decide as to whom Rei finally falls in love with! So, in a review, you can vote for either Izaya or Shizuo. I'll be sure to tally up the votes and make it clear as to which side wins in the next chapter. Also, I wanted to thank you all for being so patient with this story. I look forward to seeing all of you eager readers in the next chapter...whenever I get to it... As always, be safe out there and see you all later! じゃね (Goodbye!)

HanakoWolf1717


	9. A Date with Shizuo Heiwajima

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Another day, another chapter! I hope that you fellow readers and followers are having a fun time with this story. I know I am! I'm proud of this chapter and I hope you guys and gals are, too! :D If anyone has any suggestions for the next chapter, write a review, PLEASE! I'm stuck on what to add in the next chapter! I guess I'll see you all again in the next chapter!

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A Date With Shizuo Heiwajima

Shizuo seemed much more friendly and eager to listen then our days in high school at Raira Academy. We walked around the streets of Ikebukuro for what seemed like hours, that is until we ran into a restaurant that I never seemed to notice before.

"I bet you that you've never eaten here, right?" Shizuo said as I looked up at the sign above the entrance.

"I'm pretty sure that I'd remember eating at a place like THIS!" I said bluntly as the sign above the entrance to the restaurant said 'Russia Sushi'.

"Well, I know it doesn't sound like it tastes very good," Shizuo rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "But I actually know the guy who runs this place. The food isn't that bad, actually!"

"I guess there's a first for everything..." I said as I followed Shizuo into the Russian Sushi place.

"Ah, Shizuo! Welcome!" A loud, booming voice said in our direction. I looked up and saw a big black guy that was REALLY tall dressed up in a sushi chef outfit. "You bring little girl with you?"

"Yeah, she's an old friend of mine." Shizuo said with a chuckle. "Rei, this is Simon. He moved here from Russia not too long ago. His Japanese isn't that perfect, though. So, he speaks in rough sentences or phrases."

"Oh, okay." I said, on the verge of shaking by how intimidating Simon was. "In that case, it's a pleasure to meet you, Simon."

"Nice to see you, too!" Simon smiled as he guided Shizuo and I to our booth.

As we were seated into our booth, I noticed four oddly placed people in the next booth.

"Hey, Shizuo!" Said a low voice.

Shizuo stopped in his tracks and so did I. I couldn't help but look at the four people in the booth.

"Wait a second..." said a young man in a green jacket and black hat and pants. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"You talking to...me?" I pointed to myself.

"Dota-chin, are you saying that you know that girl!?" a young girl with a black jacket, hat, and skirt with her hair pulled into a braid stated.

"I told you not to call me that!" the man in the green jacket yelled at the young girl. "Anyway, you look vaguely familiar..."

"We went to high school together, Kyohei," Shizuo called out the man in the green jacket. "You two were never properly introduced, though..."

"Shizuo, who are these people?" I whispered into Shizuo's ear.

"The one in the green jacket is 'Kyohei Kadota', the person in the blue hoodie with blonde hair is 'Walker', the girl is 'Erika', and the other man with the white shirt with brown hair is 'Saburo'."

"It's nice to meet all of you." I said with a formal bow. "Wait, now I remember you!"

"We were in the same science class, right?" Kyohei glanced at me. He removed his hat and sat it beside him. He got up and bowed at me. "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"I...I like your hair, Kyohei," I said awkwardly as I noticed Kyohei's slicked-back dark brown locks.

"Thank you very much!" Kyohei blushed. "By the way, what's your name?"

"It's Rei," I said with a smile. "Rei Anami."

"Dota-chin, you should totally ask her out!" Walker interrupted. "She's just the perfect heroine for our strong leader!"

"Yeah, she's a real 'piri-piri' heroine for you, Dota-chin!" Erika joined Walker happily. "But, she is kinda like more of a little sister type, right, Walker?"

"Would you two stop teasing him, please!?" Saburo yelled at Erika and Walker. "Seriously, it's getting really old!"

"Let them be, Saburo," Kyohei motioned to Saburo to calm down. "I can see that you're going out with Shizuo, right?"

"We're just here as friends, Kyohei," Shizuo said with an exasperated sigh. "Besides, she's going out with Izaya Orihara."

"That's a name I haven't heard of in a long time!" Kyohei glanced at Shizuo. "How's that going for you, Rei?"

"Okay, I guess..." I answered bluntly. "He can take care of himself."

"Well, I guess we'll see you around," Kyohei said. "Before you go, may I see your cell phone for a second? I'll give you my number in case you're ever in a jam. Don't hesitate to call, okay?"

"Thank you, Kyohei!" I gave Kyohei a hug out of excitement. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome?" Kyohei responded as he punched the numbers on my phone. "Another piece of advice: stay away from all of the gangs around here."

"The 'gangs'?" I questioned Kyohei as he handed me back my cell phone. "I think I might've heard of them before from Izaya?"

"Well, I wouldn't dig too much into it, Rei," Kyohei sighed. "I wouldn't want you to end up getting hurt or something."

"I'm certain that Rei can take care of herself," Shizuo said with a chuckle. "Besides, if something were to happen to her, I'll protect her with my life!"

"Same with us, Shizuo," Kyohei smiled at Shizuo. "See you soon, you two."

"All right," Shizuo grinned happily. "See you around."

Shizuo and I went to our booth after we parted ways with Kyohei and his friends. We ordered our food, which was short of...tasty? After we ate, Shizuo escorted me to the streets of Ikebukuro. We walked for a little while, and we talked along the way.

"Well, you've had such a nice evening with me, haven't you, Rei?" Shizuo smiled down at me as we walked along the streets. "You've eaten at 'Russia Sushi', met Kyohei and his little gang, and now, you're about to see what my apartment looks like!"

"Yeah, I guess," I said, looking up at Shizuo. "Shizuo, where exactly is your apartment building at?"

"Not much further," Shizuo took my right hand in his left and smiled. "Why, are you getting tired all ready? Do you want me to carry you?"

"No, I just wanted to ask," I lied as my left foot began to cramp. "Well, if you insist on carrying me, I wouldn't mind."

"Okay, that settles that," Shizuo said as he stopped in his tracks, crouching down. "Get on and I'll carry you the rest of the way."

"Okay, Shizuo," I agreed, and climbed onto Shizuo's back. "Thank you."

"No problem," Shizuo said, lifting me up gently. "Hang on tight, okay?"

"Sure," I said, leaning my body against Shizuo's back. "Shizuo, I never thought that you were so nice before."

"Let me guess," Shizuo growled. "The flea told you that I'm a monster, right?"

"'Monster'?" I said silently, rubbing my cheek against Shizuo's back. "I don't think of you as a monster, Shizuo. I think that you're a really nice guy."

"Nicer than that flea, Izaya?" Shizuo scoffed. "Or has he already beaten me to it?"

"No, YOU'RE much nicer than him any day." I said with a giggle. "I just fear that I won't be able to escape him..."

"Don't worry, Rei," Shizuo sighed. "I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy, AND keep you safe."

"Shizuo," I grasped out of surprise. "I never knew that you felt that way about me..."

"All right," Shizuo said as I looked over his shoulder to see a set of apartment buildings. "This is the place, Rei. Do you want me to put you down now?"

"Yeah, I think I can walk," I said as I slid off of Shizuo's back. I stood upright and Shizuo looked at me from over his shoulder. "Thank you very much, Shizuo."

"No problem, Rei," Shizuo took my hand in his and smiled. "Now, let's get you inside. I'll get you some water and maybe we can watch a movie?"

"That sounds wonderful," I said with a grin as Shizuo unlocked the door to his apartment. "What movie did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking, maybe a romantic comedy?"

"Whatever is fine by me."

Shizuo held the door open and let me inside. He flipped a switch, turning on a light. I took off my shoes and left them close towards the door. I made my way down a hallway and found myself in a dark room. Shizuo found the light switch and the light flickered on. I noticed a small couch and a television against the walls of the room. I sat down on the couch and Shizuo fetched both of us glasses of water. He turned on the television and put the movie in. Shizuo sat down beside me and rested his arm across my shoulders. He looked at me out the corner of his eye and I leaned in real close and kissed Shizuo's cheek. A smile was on his face and we continued to watch the movie until the very end. Once the movie was over, Shizuo got up and put our glasses in the sink in the kitchen. Shizuo then turned off the television and lead me into his bedroom.

"You can sleep with me tonight," Shizuo said with a chuckle. "You can sleep on the left side of the bed. The bathroom is to your left."

"Thanks again, Shizuo," I said as Shizuo gave me a set of night clothes. I walked into the bathroom and changed my clothes. I walked back into the bedroom, seeing Shizuo standing by my bedside.

"I'll cover you up, okay?" Shizuo smiled at me. "Trust me, Rei."

"Okay, Shizuo," I yawned as I climbed into Shizuo's bed, feeling the bedsheets curb around my body. "You're a kind person."

"You're very kind yourself, Rei," Shizuo climbed into bed beside me, pulling the bedsheets up to his chest. "May I kiss you before we go to sleep?"

"I told you before, Shizuo," I said with a smile and a blush. "I don't really mind - just as long as Izaya doesn't find out."

"I'm taking that as a 'yes', Rei..."

Shizuo then gently leaned his body across mine, his hands caressing my cheeks softly. Shizuo then leaned forward, his lips gently pressed against mine. He deepened the kiss by tilting his head slightly to the left, molding our lips together. Shizuo slowly pulled away from me, staring into my eyes handsomely. I pulled Shizuo back in for another kiss, gently letting Shizuo slip his tongue into my mouth. Shizuo suddenly tore away from my grip, looking deeply into my eyes. He kissed my forehead and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Rei, I..." Shizuo whispered in my ear. "I love you very much, Rei."

"Shizuo," I said silently as I turned to face him. "I think I love you, too..."


	10. LOST

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** : Konnichiwa, readers and my fellow humans! This chapter is going to be F-U-N! (*laughs maniacally*) Back to business! I hope that all of you out there reading this will continue giving me ideas and such for this story. Who knows! Maybe I'll change the pace of this story in later chapters! Happy reading, and I'll see you all at the end of the chapter!

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L.O.S.T.

I awoke with a stir, my face just inches away from Shizuo Heiwajima's. Panicked, I sat upright, looking down at Shizuo's sleeping face. Suddenly, I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I looked around the room with caution, noticing a dark shadow in the corner of Shizuo's bedroom. My body began to shake out of fear. I then slowly shook Shizuo's body, noticing his eyes opening. He stretched out his body with a yawn, looking down at me. I pointed to the figure in the room, leaning my body against his. Shizuo glanced at the figure out the corner of his eye and got out of bed slowly. The figure stepped out from the shadows, revealing reddish-brown eyes and raven locks. None other than Izaya Orihara.

"I thought I'd find you here, Rei," Izaya's tone was agitated and shaking. "I'd never would have thought that you'd cheat on me with a monster such as him."

"Izaya, you bastard," Shizuo raised his voice in anger. "For your information, we are just friends and THAT'S IT!"

"I thought you two were sleeping together," Izaya walked forward and sat beside me. "Did this beast harm you in any way, Rei?"

I looked at Izaya with a blank and dreary expression. I gave Izaya a slight smile, noticing Izaya's expression change into a twisted one. A split second later, my cheek was red and stinging in pain.

 _'Izaya, why did you just...?'_ I thought as I rubbed my cheek, giving Izaya a scowl. ' _Why did you hit me...?'_

"Do that again," Shizuo grabbed a hold of Izaya's wrist. "And I won't hesitate to shatter every bone in your body!"

"Stop it, both of you!" I yelled, clinging onto Shizuo's sleeve. "Enough arguments!"

"Oh, this isn't an argument, Rei," Shizuo growled, his grip on Izaya's wrist became tighter. "Its become much more than that!"

"Shut your mouth, monster!" Izaya roared back at Shizuo.

"Like YOU'RE one to talk!" Shizuo's voice became louder and more agitated. "One false move, and I WILL NOT HESITATE TO BREAK YOUR ARM!"

"JUST STOP IT! RIGHT NOW!" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

I rammed my body against Shizuo's, trying to make him budge. I heard a faint cry from Izaya's throat, hearing the crackling of bones. I slid off the side of the bed, landing on my back. I glanced up at Shizuo and Izaya, both looking at me. Tears fell from my cheeks, as I struggled to find my footing.

"Please," My voice was trembling with anger and sadness. "Stop this... Stop the fighting...for me..."

I suddenly felt faint, clinging to the bedsheets for support. Izaya's eyes widened as I looked up at him with a small smile. I managed to climb back onto the mattress, Shizuo trying to help me. My breathing became shallow, shaking with each breath I took. I noticed Izaya's left hand was broken; he could barely move it at all. I reached out a shaking hand towards Izaya, resting my hand on his. I turned my attention to Shizuo, looking up at him with a smile. Shizuo gently pulled my body closer towards his, my upper body laid in his lap. I felt cold tears fall from Shizuo's cheeks, something that I never thought I would see Shizuo do in front of me. Shizuo then took my body up in his arms, holding me close. I could hear his heartbeat, and I felt his body shaking. I passed out, weak and weary from enduring the pain...

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I awoke with a relentless throbbing pain in my head. I opened my eyes, seeing Shinra Kishitani and Celty Sturlurson.

"She's awake! She's awake!" Shinra said joyfully as Celty walked away into another room.

"Where... Where...am I?" I mumbled with a raspy voice. I noticed that my throat was dry and coughed. "What...happened...?"

"You hit your head when you fell off my bed," I heard Shizuo's voice call out to me. I looked up slightly, noticing Shizuo rush to my side. "Are you feeling okay? You had me worried sick about you."

"My head still kinda hurts..." I muffled with a cough. "And my throat is dry... May I have some water?"

"I still have to examine you before you can eat or drink anything," Shinra said as he helped me to sit upright.

"Wait..." I looked around the room with a sigh. "Where is...Izaya? What happened to him? I remember... Shizuo broke Izaya's left hand... Is he going to be okay!?"

"He's just fine, Rei," Shizuo said solemnly. "He's on the couch."

I noticed Shizuo's hand grip onto mine tightly. Shizuo gently leaned over me and kissed my forehead.

"I NEVER thought THIS was what was going on between you and Shizuo, Rei!" Shinra said, startled. "I thought that Izaya and Rei were together?"

"It's true, Shinra," Shizuo said, looking at Shinra solemnly. "I love Rei, but she loves both me and that Flea... I think...that Flea will end up hurting her if she stays with him any longer..."

"Shizuo, if you love Rei," Shinra laid a hand upon Shizuo's shoulder. "Then do something about it. The only thing that's in your way is Izaya. I'm not saying that I think you should kill him or anything, just... get Rei away from him. If you can, that is..."

"Shinra, after you're finished examining me, could I please see Izaya..." I whispered with a small grin. "There's something...I have to...tell him..."

Shizuo and Shinra gave me blank stares. Shizuo then left the room, allowing Shinra to change my bandages and look over my wounds. Afterwards, I managed to get to my feet with Shinra and Shizuo's help. Izaya was laid across the couch, his left wrist and hand consumed by a cast that was suspended by a sling. He was reading a magazine, and his expression was startling. He seemed lonely and upset. He lifted his head and looked up at me with his usual grin.

"I can see that Sleeping Beauty is finally awake," Izaya smiled as Shizuo and Shinra sat me beside Izaya. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Do I look like I'm better?" I glanced at Izaya, my eyes meeting his. "My head is throbbing, my back kinda hurts, and I'm...I'm...I'm just so...irritated..."

Izaya's eyes widened as I felt a tear stream down my cheek. Izaya wiped away the tear with his right hand, giving me an upsetting look. His reddish eyes became glossy and soft. His right hand wrapped across the back of my neck, pulling me close towards him. My forehead landed on his chest as more tears fell from my eyes and into Izaya's shirt. I let low, subtle moans and cries escape my lips.

"Rei, please don't cry," I heard Izaya whisper as he leaned over me. "Rei, I'm just...scared... I don't want to loose you. I love you too much...to let you go..."

"Izaya, it's going to be...okay," I reassured Izaya when he let me go. "You shouldn't be angry with yourself... It was my fault, anyways..."

"Excuse me, Rei," Shinra said as he approached me and Izaya. "I have to tend to Izaya's wound now. I need to re-wrap his bandages."

"What do you mean 'bandages'?" I asked Shinra.

Izaya carefully lifted up his shirt, displaying most of his torso. Parts of Izaya's chest was covered in bloody bandages and gauze.

"Before we could figure out a way to successfully carry you here, Rei," Izaya looked straight into my eyes. "Shizuo and I had a little...quarrel of sorts... As you can see, I became Shizuo's punching bag..."

"What the Flea says is true," Shizuo entered the room with a heavy sigh. "Even though he had a broken arm, he still managed to cut me pretty deep."

Shizuo walked towards me, lifting up his shirt, revealing a scar on his abdomen.

"Well, you can count me in, too," Shinra said in a happy tone. He suddenly stripped off his white lab coat and took off his shirt and tie. Shinra took my hand and traced it over a scar near his lower abdomen. "Remember this scar, Izaya?"

"Yeah, I sure do," Izaya said with a smile. "You and I got into a fight, and I accidentally stabbed you. It was during our days in Middle School, right?"

"How do you 'accidentally' stab someone?" Shizuo and I gasped in unison. "And how come I've never heard of this until now!?"

"Well," Shinra said, putting his clothes back on. "It's kind of a long story..."

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Okay everyone. This chapter is FINALLY finished! Sorry it took me so long to upload this chapter. I've just been busy with personal matters in life. Well, I love you readers, one and all! See you all next time!


	11. Early Days of Middle School

**AUTHOR'S NOTE** : Konnichiwa, readers and my fellow humans! This chapter is going to be kind of in the form of a flashback, told from Shinra's P.O.V. (This might be the only time I do this, but if you readers enjoy it, let me know in a review or comment below!) ****IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THE RECENT SEASONS OF Durarara!, I SUGGEST YOU WATCH THE EPISODES FIRST BEFORE DIVING INTO THIS CHAPTER. THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!**** Happy reading, and I'll see you all at the end of the chapter!

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Early Days of Middle School

"Remember this scar, Izaya?"

"Yeah, I sure do," Izaya said with a smile. "You and I got into a fight, and I accidentally stabbed you. It was during our days in Middle School, right?"

"How do you 'accidentally' stab someone?" Shizuo and I gasped in unison. "And how come I've never heard of this until now!?"

"Well," Shinra said, "It's kind of a long story... It all started roughly twelve years ago... I remember that... Izaya and I were in the same class," Shinra calmly said, reminiscing about Jr. High. "He seemed out of place in the classroom, so I approached him when the school day was winding down to an end..."

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Shinra's P.O.V.

The final bell for the day rang loudly across the school yard. I noticed a very unusual young man with raven black hair and reddish-brown eyes fixated upon the door to the classroom. I stared at him with wonder and thought to myself, 'Shinra, he seems like an excellent choice!'

I got up from my desk, grabbing my school bag set beside it. I let a low laugh escape my lips as I approached the young man, calling out to him happily.

"Hey, hold on a second!" I said in a rushed manner. "Excuse me! Do you want to start a Biology Club?"

The young man took a half step backwards, his eyes fixated upon me now. His bag shuffled slightly as he threw it over his shoulder and scuttled out the door.

"Why in the hell would _I_ want to join a club with _you_!?" The young man said with sarcasm in his voice. "I'm not really interested in that sort of thing."

That was the moment I met him; none other than Izaya Orihara.

"Well, you don't really have to join the club," I sighed as I followed Izaya out the door and into the hallway. I let a low growl escape my throat. "It wouldn't hurt to at least help me set it up, though. Who knows, it could be fun! Please!?"

"Still not interested," Izaya whined, his voice displaying an annoyed tone. "You're name is... 'Kishitani', right?"

"You can just call me 'Shinra'," I smiled. "You're name is... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name..."

"It's 'Orihara'," Izaya exasperated with a sigh. "'Izaya Orihara'."

"Oh, yeah," I nervously rubbed the back of my neck. "'Izaya Orihara', huh? Well, like I said, call me 'Shinra'. Can I just call you 'Izaya'?"

"Why are you still following me around," Izaya growled in my direction. "I told you that I have no interest in joining your stupid club!"

"Didn't you hear what the teacher said earlier," I questioned Izaya. "In order to have a club at this school, you need at least two people."

"Yes, I get that," Izaya scoffed. "What I'm trying to get at is why you want me to join?"

"Well, it's because you...like observing living creatures, that's why."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Izaya halted in his tracks and turned towards me.

"You remember when you introduced yourself to the class earlier today," I proceeded to gain more information about Izaya as I tried to drag out our conversation. "You said that you loved observing living creatures. You said it was your hobby."

"Just what are you trying to get at," Izaya growled louder at me. "Besides, what does any of this have to do with starting some damn Biology Club!?"

I shrugged and said, "Well, aren't _humans_ living creatures!?"

Izaya seemed kind of shocked and backed away as I said this. He slowly turned around and started walking towards the staircase.

"Whatever," Izaya said in a low voice. "I'm still not joining your stupid club."

"Oh, all right, then..." I sighed as I continued to silently follow Izaya. "However, I'm still going to ask you tomorrow!"

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Izaya faced me once again. "I'm just going to give you the exact same answer I did today. Why bother?"

"Well, what about the next day?"

"Still the same answer..."

"The day after THAT?!"

"Look, I already told you no. What makes you think that I'll be willing to change my answer?"

"Well, it's just that I..." I mumbled to myself. "What if I was to make you the President of the club?"

"Kishitani, I don't care about being in your damn club!" Izaya roared back in anger. "Why don't you stop bothering me and go ask someone else to join you. How about a friend from Elementary School or something?"

"Come on, now, Izaya..." I sighed, softening my eyes at him. "Does it look like I have any friends?"

Izaya's eyes narrowed and scanned my body, examining my clothing and style. He even took notice in the awkwardly sluggish pose I was in; begging him with my hands clasped together, my left hand still holding onto my bag, and bowed my head in respect.

"Now that you mention it, no. No you don't."

"Wrong answer, Orihara!" I said with gleefully smiling eyes. "I have one friend!"

I immediately thought of a young man with deep brown locks and mocha eyes. My other friend, Shizuo Heiwajima.

I continued to follow Izaya until we reached our lockers. I unlocked the lock that seemed to hold my shoes hostage beyond the locker door. I took off my school shoes and took the ones from my locker out, slamming them to the floor with a loud, echoing clasp.

"So, anyway, that friend I mentioned earlier, he doesn't really count because he's at a different school..." I tossed my school shoes into my locker, shutting the door and turning the lock dial. "Who knows, maybe I'll be willing to make more friends here?"

"Well, that decision depends on you, Shinra," Izaya said as he began walking out the school entrance. "Maybe you'll get lucky and find someone who likes biology as much as you do?"

"Maybe you're right," I sighed as I tapped my toes into my shoes, kneeling down to make sure they were snug and tight around my heels. "However, where's the fun in that!? I don't just want to do projects in the club. I want to do much more than that, you know?"

"Okay, now I'm the one whose confused," Izaya stated as he walked ahead of me. "Do you even like biology, or is this whole thing just an excuse to get me to talk to a troubled youth such as yourself?"

"Now that you mention it, I actually don't want to be in a club. However, the love of my life said, 'Shinra, since you don't have many friends, why don't you join a club instead!'" I began to nervously rub the back of my neck. "Now here I am, talking to you, Izaya."

I suddenly got a burst of energy, cutting off Izaya from the road. I stood in front of him, my arms wide open. I let my bag slip down my arm, rubbing against my wrist. I clasped my hands together in front of me, bowing my head at Izaya nervously.

"Izaya, please think about it! We could go looking for hidden tsuchinokos**!"

"I told you before, I'm not interested in your damn club!" Izaya roared as I jumped back out of fear. "Besides, that's not what a Biology Club even does, idiot!"

I watched as Izaya pushed me aside, storming off towards the streets. I knew that Izaya now had a reason to hold a grudge against me, but I really didn't care. He was a friend in my eyes, even if he was a little awkward. Like I said before, I really didn't care either way.

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I had an odd vibe from Izaya, due to the fact that he found me so interesting. I guess it was because he and I were complete opposites. He found humans interesting, yet I had little to no compromise on the fact that I loved someone whom was inhuman. Izaya began asking around school campus about me, which I gathered through gossip from the other classmates.

I was amazed and somewhat amused to see Izaya loom over me a couple of days later in class. He just waltzed right up to my desk, a sort of ominous smirk was upon his face.

"Kishitani, if you make me the Vice President of your club, I'll be happy to join," Izaya's smirk widened as I stood from my desk.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much!" I brought Izaya in for a hug.

"Hey, you can let go of me now!" Izaya growled under his breath.

"Sorry, Izaya," I squirmed back into my seat. "I guess I'll see you later then?"

"Whatever, Kishitani."

"I said to call me 'Shinra'!"

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Not long after summer vacation started that school year, the club Izaya and I founded had its own room, brimming with books and taxidermy animals. Izaya and I were on opposite sides of the room, tangled up in a conversation.

"You know what, Izaya?" I said, making my way towards him and laying a hand on Izaya's shoulder. "I am expecting great things from you, Vice President!"

"Same goes for you, President Kishitani," Izaya smirked. "Seeing as you're inclined to basically do nothing in this club..."

"Well, if it comes down to that, I guess the best I can do is cheer you on. Seeing as how we are the only two members of this club, we get to make all the rules and projects we want!"

"Sounds reasonable enough," Izaya sighed. "Although, if you happen to die on the spot, I'll observe how your body decomposes and display my research in the cultural festival."

"I've heard about those research facilities," I said with a smile. "They are more common in the United States. People studying forensics and scientific studies on decomposition processes are refereed to body farms."

"How in the hell do you know about that!?" Izaya questioned me.

"Well, my father works for a pharmaceutical company." I replied. "He's always been interested in that sort of thing. He takes travelling to the United States seriously."

"That's very interesting about you, Shinra." Izaya smiled happily.

"Here's some food for thought: what if my body _doesn't_ decompose?" I smiled at Izaya as I walked around the room. "Let's just say that, as an example, you have a female corpse. A female corpse with her heart still intact. Most people would be disgusted and run away screaming, but not me. What if you were to see this corpse as the love of your life? What then? What's more, what if you wanted to see if this corpse had the same feelings of love for you?"

"Well, if you're desperate enough," Izaya sighed, putting his hands in his pockets. "You make up a conversation using ventriloquism."

"Maybe, but, let's also say that this corpse could also walk around," I began poking my index finger against the stuffed turtle placed on one of the low shelves. "In other words, this non-decomposable 'corpse' just became a 'zombie'. Also, if this female corpse can talk, is it also possible that she could fall in love with you, and vice versa?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Shinra? Are you serious!?" Izaya raised an eyebrow at me.

"Let's also speculate that this 'zombie's' internal organs are all intact as well, but her heart has stopped beating. Suppose that this zombie could talk and laugh, joking with you on a daily basis..."

"I guess this corpse would be having a funny time walking and speaking with you, or anyone for that matter," Izaya sighed, closing his eyes just to listen.

"Yeah, but," I bitterly bit my lip, taking my finger away from the turtle. "If it's considered 'normal' to love a human and 'abnormal' to love a zombie, what do you do then!? Where are we bound to draw the line!?"

"Well, I guess you can fall in love with whomever you chose, just as long as you don't hurt anyone, right?" Izaya looked up at me with an intriguing glare in his eyes.

"No way," I said, the sunlight hitting off my glasses. "I'd gladly hurt someone, just because I truly believe that I love her."

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About a month after that conversation, I found out that Izaya was making bets on baseball games on campus grounds. I decided to approach him in the biology room after school...

"I thought that you were going to stop this," I flipped the switch to the radio Izaya had set on the main table in the center of the room. Izaya was sitting close to the window, clinging to the ballots in his hands. "You told me that you were going to stop taking bets on baseball games."

"Could you stop nagging me," Izaya gave me a nasty look over his shoulder. He turned back to the sheets of paper in his hands. "Besides, this doesn't concern you. It's none of your business."

"Actually," I said with a shaken voice. "This _is_ my business. I told my family that you and I were friends."

"So, what!? What are you going to do, tell someone?" Izaya glared at me from over his shoulder.

"Well, if you're doing something illegal like this at school and no one hears about it, that's not right..." I spoke in a low tone.

"Shinra, you're such an idiot!" Izaya growled at me. "It seems to me like someone else is manipulating you... You're just like an empty puppet."

"I don't care if I'm a puppet, so long as I'm doing so to protect the one I love."

"You are completely and utterly hopeless, Shinra," Izaya sneered.

Just then, the door behind us opened up. A young man with scruffy hair and moles under his eyes entered the room.

"Orihara, you bastard," the young man called out to Izaya. Izaya turned around with a satisfactory smile on his curved lips.

"Hey, Nakura," Izaya's smile widened, showing his glistening teeth. "I'm sorry, but bets are closed for today."

"I know that," Nakura said, just a few feet away from where I was standing. "Hear me out, please! I really need that money back on that bet I made yesterday. I stole that money from my father's wallet. If he finds out, he'll kick my ass for sure!"

"Nakura, I didn't force you to place any bets," Izaya said, raising from his chair and facing Nakura. "You made that decision on your own."

I took a half step backwards, noticing Nakura take out a knife from his pocket. He flicked open the blade, pointing towards Izaya.

"Nakura, do we really have to do this here?" Izaya smiled, picking up his chair in defense. "Put down the knife and I won't hurt you."

"I'm serious, Orihara! Give me back my money or I'll-"

"That's not going to happen," Izaya sighed, his grip becoming tighter on the chair leg. "Even if I gave you your cash back, it wouldn't do me any good."

"Shut the hell up!" Nakura yelled loudly.

"You're such an idiot, it's hilarious!" Izaya teased.

Nakura shrugged, lunging his body forward. Without thinking, I blindly rushed my body in front of Izaya, shielding him. I felt a sharp pain in my lower abdomen, feeling the blood pour out of my wound in small pools. I kneeled over, forced onto my hands and knees, my head slamming against the tile floor.

"I was just trying to scare Orihara..." Nakura panted in fear, dropping the bloody knife. "No, I was just...just scare Orihara... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Hold on, Shinra," Izaya reassured me, putting down the chair and pulling his cell phone from his pocket. I looked up at him, my cheek resting against the cold tile below. I felt more blood pool out of my body, and heard Nakura screaming down the hall. Izaya's eyes were wild with fear, his face flushed and somehow pale. "I'll call you an ambulance! Just hold on, okay?"

"Not yet, Izaya..." My voice was shaking, and my breathing became heavy. "Duct tape... I have...to stop...the bleeding..."

Izaya reached up to one of the top shelves, grabbed some spare duct tape, and helped bring me to my back. He propped my back against the table, his eyes narrowed. My jacket and uniform was completely drenched in blood. I took the tape between my teeth, cutting it with my canines, and applying it to my open wound. I was able to succeed in my efforts to heal myself, but I still needed medical attention, so I asked Izaya to still call that ambulance for me.

"I guess I'm not the type for heroism, huh?" I asked Izaya with a faint smile.

"Please, don't talk!" Izaya cautioned me. "You'll only make yourself worse!"

"I'll be fine, Izaya," I looked up at Izaya with half smiling eyes. "It doesn't feel as though the blade hit any of my internal organs..."

"Shinra, could you play this as if I had stabbed you?" Izaya said, picking up the knife. "If you agree to this, I'll make certain that Nakura will regret this for the rest of his miserable life!"

"Okay, I guess..." I said with a nod.

Izaya quickly threw the chair out the window and climbed out to escape. I heard footsteps honing in on my location, getting louder with each step. I tried not to concentrate on the burning pain in my side, when I heard the door slam open.

"Kishitani!" I heard a male voice call out to me. I looked up to see a fellow teacher in the doorway. "What happened here!?"

"Please, call an ambulance," I said, my body began to shake. "I got stabbed...by Izaya Orihara..."

"What!?" The teacher yelled frantically.

The teacher had frantically carried me out into the hallway, when I heard the sound of sirens in the background. I began to feel dizzy and weak until the paramedics took me down to the back of the ambulance to examine my wound. It needed a few stitches, but the paramedics said that I should be okay within a week. A few hours after the incident, Izaya surrendered himself to the police. The school, nor I, decided it was necessary to press charges and they were dropped. Luckily, the situation was well taken care of, because not too many people found out about it.

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Rei's P.O.V.

"That's exactly how it happened, too!" Shinra smiled happily.

"Wait a minute," Shizuo scratched the back of his hair. "It wasn't the flea?!"

"Like I would stab someone that patches up my wounds," Izaya sneered at Shizuo. "Besides, I absolutely love humans..."

"What did you...just say?" I turned my head and glared at Izaya's handsome eyes. "Is THAT the only reason as to why you're dating me!?"

"...No..." Izaya growled out the corner of his mouth, placing his head in his hand.

"You..." I responded under my breath. "YOU MOTHER FUCKER!"

I sprang up, readying my hand muscles. I almost slapped Izaya, if it wasn't for Shizuo grabbing my arm before I even raised a hand to him.

"I can hit him, if you want," Shinra beamed in.

"I'll deal with this flea," Shizuo growled, his voice steadily raising in anger. "Well, Rei?"

"Let me go," I tried to tear my arm away from Shizuo's grip, but to no avail. "I told you to let me go, Shizu-chan!"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME!?" Shizuo roared at the top of his lungs. He motioned his body on top of me, pinning me to the floor.

"Hey, get off of her!" Izaya got up and rammed his body into Shizuo's side at full force. "I said move, damn you!"

Apparently, Shizuo wasn't using his full strength to keep his body stable when Izaya hit him. They tumbled over each other and Shizuo let my arm go from his grip. Shizuo landed on top of Izaya, but Izaya pulled out a hidden blade tucked into his sleeve. Izaya slashed open Shizuo's left cheek, blood dripped down Shizuo's chin and onto Izaya's face. Shizuo then clutched his hand into a fist and the other hand pulled back the loose strands of hair out of Izaya's eyes. Izaya then shook off Shizuo's hand that was pulling his hair back, snatching Shizuo's loose arm in his mouth. Izaya bit hard into Shizuo's arm, drawing blood and causing it to overflow, spilling onto the carpet.

"JUST STOP IIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, trying to pry Shizuo away from Izaya. "GET A HOLD OF YOURSELVES!"

I felt a sudden burst of pain in my stomach, and I was sent flying backwards. My left arm was wedged under the couch, my head slammed against the carpet in Shinra's living room area. I choked as I tried to stand up, feeling an odd taste in my mouth. I coughed up a crimson red liquid - blood. I looked down at the splattered carpet and passed out.

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Okay everyone. I hope that all of you readers out there are satisfied with this chapter. I am, but I'm not, you know? If you all enjoyed this style of how I approached this "flashback", let me know. Well, I love you readers and fellow humans, one and all! I hope to see you all next time!


	12. A Sense of Progression

A Sense of Progression

I awoke with a sudden stir, feeling a warm presence close to me. I struggled to open my eyes; my vision blurry. Once I came to my senses, I noticed that a warm sensation was beaming from my head. I looked to my left, noticing Shizuo sitting on my bedside. He tussled my hair gently, and brushed my bangs away from my eyes. Shizuo seemed to notice my eyes opening, because he leaned over me, planting a kiss on my forehead. I blushed a bright red, but Shizuo pretended not to notice.

"Shizuo," I said with a small smile. "I'm sorry about calling you 'Shizu-chan' before."

"I don't mind," Shizuo kissed my forehead again. "The only person I despise when he calls me that is Izaya. Also, I'm sorry I did this to you..."

"I feel fine," I blushed again. "I'm not hurt or anything. Besides, it was an accident. I provoked you, so, I guess I deserve it!"

"No, you don't," Shizuo leaned over me, his face mere inches from mine. "You definitely don't need someone like me, nor Izaya for that matter, in your life... You should just...forget about us..."

"I can't do that!" I snapped back. "You know I can't!"

"You're right," Shizuo came closer towards me, laying his body on top of mine. "I can't just forget about you, either! This is going to sound selfish and stupid of me, but, I want to make you happy - more so than Izaya. I want to be with you, if you are willing to accept me."

"I guess I have no choice..." I mumbled under my breath. "I humbly accept, Shizuo. I promise."

"Thank you," Shizuo said, pressing his lips against mine. "Thank you very much!"

I felt Shizuo wrap his arms around my back, pulling me upwards into a sitting position. Shizuo laid his head on my shoulder, nuzzling my neck with his lips. I blushed a deep red, noticing the door to the room open up slightly. Shizuo suddenly pulled away from me, as Celty walked into the room.

"Rei, are you feeling better after some rest?" Celty 'said'. "Shinra said that you can stay as long as you wish. Tonight's dinner isn't anything special, so..."

"That's fine, Celty," I responded with a smile. "I don't feel any pain whatever!"

"THAT'S because Shinra gave you some medicine for your injuries to numb your body a little," Celty walked up to my bedside, shoving her phone screen in my face. "I just came in here to check on you. Izaya left a few hours ago. I tried calling him, but...He wouldn't answer."

"That jerk! He can take care of himself!" I puffed up my cheeks in anger and crossed my arms over my chest. "I don't even care if he dies. I wouldn't-"

"Calm down, Rei," Shizuo gave me soft eyes. "I want that pesky little flea DEAD more than anything! He should know that taking care of you comes FIRST!"

"Forget I said anything about Izaya..." Celty replied with her fingers shaking as she typed. "Shizuo, you can stay here, too. We have a spare room for you in the back. Most of your wounds are still healing, and Shinra wanted to take precautions."

"Thanks, Celty!" Shizuo had a smile on his face. "I think Rei needs me here to keep an eye on her. I promise that I won't do anything to upset Rei."

"Alright, that's fine by me," Celty 'sighed' before she continued typing. "Just don't do anything rash or crazy that could reopen your stitches! I'm going out on a job soon, so it will just be you two and Shinra for the time being. I'm not certain when I'll be back, but when you get hungry, there's food in the refrigerator. Shinra might get called out on a job as well, so you might want to rest up a bit more."

"Thank you, Celty," I gave Celty a big smile. "Good luck on your job today!"

""Yeah, and if you run into the flea, kick his ass for me!" Shizuo smiled menacingly, clenching his fists out of anger. "Good luck!"

Celty 'nodded' and walked away, closing the room door behind her. I heard the entry door to Shinra and Celty's apartment slam shut, knowing that Celty was gone.

"Shizuo, do you know where Shinra is?" I asked Shizuo with a blank stare.

"You're not hurting, are you!?" Shizuo replied with concern in his voice.

"No, I'm fine," I said in a low voice. "Its just that, I want to ask him something."

"Alright, fine!" Shizuo got up from my bedside, leaned down, and kissed my forehead again. "I'll be right back, okay?"

I nodded to Shizuo as he walked out of the room, leaving the door open slightly. A few minutes later, Shinra bursted through the door, making me jump. Shizuo stood in the doorway, his back against the wall. Shinra plopped down beside me in a joyful manner, which made me kind of happy. I guessed it was Shinra's upbeat manner that made me feel so much better.

"What was it that you wanted to talk about, Rei?" Shinra said with a loving smile. "Don't try to hide it, either! It's written all over your face that something is wrong. You can tell me!"

"You might as well tell him, Rei," Shizuo said with a growl. "And if you want me to go into the other room, I don't care."

"No, Shizuo, you're fine," I mumbled under my breath. "It's just that... I want to be able to protect myself, just in case I'm ever in a tight spot. I want to be strong, like Shizuo someday!"

"Well, if THAT'S all it is," Shizuo backed away from the wall, sat down beside Shinra, and leaned in close to me, giving me a hug. "Then let ME be the one to protect YOU! I don't want to see you in any pain-mental or physical. I'll be there, more than that damn, dirty FLEA!"

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! You two are just perfect for each other!" Shinra awkwardly got up and clapped for Shizuo and me. "You two go together much better than you and Izaya, Rei!"

Shizuo suddenly let me go and took a half step back, taking Shinra's lab coat collar in his hands. Shizuo then threw Shinra out the door-literally, closing and locking the door behind him. On the other side of the door, I could hear Shinra banging on the door, until Shizuo and I heard his cell phone ring.

"Sorry you, two, but I've got to go out for a while!" Shinra moaned from the other side of the door. "Don't you two lovebirds do anything while I'm away~!"

"HEY! Don't get the wrong idea, Shinra!" Shizuo raised his voice to yell at Shinra beyond the door. "HEY, while your out, can you do me a favor?"

"What!?"

"Come back in one piece!"

"I'll try, but no promises!" I heard Shinra yell back as the main doorway slammed shut behind Shinra.

"Well, I'm glad that he's gone!" Shizuo said, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat down beside me. "Are you hungry at all?"

"I feel fine, Shizuo," I lied as my stomach began to growl loudly. "I'm not hungry at all!"

"Liar," Shizuo whispered as he got on top of me, kissing my lips firmly and forcefully.

I felt Shizuo press his hand against my cheek. Feeling the warmth radiating off his palm made me feel safe. Shizuo lifted his lips from mine, and began kissing my cheeks. My cheeks began to feel warm as Shizuo gave me light butterfly kisses down the nape of my neck. I buried my fingers into Shizuo's blonde locks, feeling Shizuo's tongue brush against my throat. I could feel Shizuo's teeth gently dig into my tender skin, causing a light moan to erupt from my throat.

"Shizuo..." I muffled in a low voice as Shizuo's bangs tickled my neck and cheek. "I-I..."

"Rei," Shizuo lifted his head and I stared at my reflection in his eyes. Shizuo rested his forehead against mine, giving me a gentle smile. "I love you."

"Shizuo, I think that I love you, too," I mumbled to myself, yet loud enough for Shizuo to hear. "I just...can't seem to force myself to make a decision!"

"WHY exactly DO you hang out with that pesky little flea, anyway!?" Shizuo sat upright, pulling me along with him. "I want the truth, Rei."

"Well, I'm... I'm not really certain as to why I'm with someone like Izaya Orihara." I choked on the words that left my lips, bringing myself to tears. "I guess it's because we've been childhood friends since early grade school. We grew up together. I guess that I got used to his mannerisms and quirky attitude. The best people know how to find happiness in misery, right?"


	13. Finding Love in the Truth

Finding Love in the Truth

Shizuo seemed in awe of my last remark. He just looked at me, seemingly showing his emotion through the softness in his eyes. Shizuo then smiled at me, his hand patted my head gently and tussled my hair. He continued playing with my hair until he broke the silence between us.

"I knew that you were serious about that flea, but I couldn't imagine that you were forcing yourself to 'love' him."

"That's not what I meant, Shizuo," I growled under my breath.

"Then what did you mean, Rei?" Shizuo stared into my eyes with concern.

"I love both of you equally. I just...can't bring myself to decide on who I need moreover the other..."

"I'll support you, be here for you, and love you much more than anyone else," Shizuo pulled me in for a tight hug. "I understand if you don't feel the same way, but just let me protect you... Please, Rei."

"...S-Shizuo..." I mumbled. "Could I stay with you for a while? If I'm a burden, just-"

"You're NOT a burden," Shizuo growled. "You can stay with me as long as you wish."

"Could you carry me, then?"

"Why do you want me to carry you?"

"I want to stay with you, at your place, for a while..."

"Okay, Rei," Shizuo got up and stretched his arms. "I'll leave Shinra a note. I'll be right back."

I got up after Shizuo walked into the other room. I grabbed my bag and Shizuo finished writing his little note. He plucked the bag from my hands, threw it over his shoulder, and picked me up once we were out the door.

It wasn't long until Shizuo and I were at the front doorstep of Shizuo's apartment. I smiled up at him as he gently opened up the door, set me down on his bed, fondly tussling my hair and putting my bag in the closet. He sat down beside me, until I noticed something odd about Shizuo's clothes.

"Shizuo, you're bleeding," I said, noticing a red stain on Shizuo's white undershirt. "You must've torn open your stitches when you carried me here."

"I think you might be right," Shizuo unbuttoned his jacket and slipped off his undershirt. Seeing all the blood made me feel sick. "I'll be right back."

"Okay, Shizuo," I said as I watched Shizuo go into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

I sprawled my body out on top of Shizuo's comfortable bed sheets. I looked up at the ceiling, a smile on my face and my eyes sparkling as I watched the shadows dance. My smile slowly faded, finding myself crawling up towards the soft pillows on Shizuo's bed. I blushed as I took a single pillow in my arms, hugging it tightly and taking in Shizuo's handsome scent. I rubbed the cold pillow against my cheek, and I heard the sound of Shizuo's bathroom door open up ever so slightly. Shizuo came out of the bathroom, clad only in his black pants. He had bandages wrapped around his abdomen in a rather poor fashion. He smiled at me once he noticed that I had clung to his pillow. Shizuo sat on the edge of his bed, looking up at me from over his shoulder. I looked down at him with a soft smile on my face and brought the pillow as close to my body as I possibly could. Shizuo's smiled back at me, widening his smile and crawling up to the head of the bed where I was at. Shizuo patted my head and lifted my chin with a steady hand. He looked into my eyes for an instant, and leaned forward to kiss me. I kissed him back, his lips tempting me for more. He pulled away from me for a minute, taking the pillow from my grasp and placing it beside him. Shizuo flashed me another smile as he pressed his lips against mine. I kissed Shizuo back again, feeling his hands caressing my cheeks and his delicate fingers slipped into my hair. My body felt warm with every kiss Shizuo gave me. I blushed as Shizuo wrapped his arms around my back, letting my head rest on his chest. Shizuo then lifted me from his grasp, leaving me to fall backwards against Shizuo's bed. Shizuo got on top of me, making me blush a deep red and my eyes went wild when Shizuo began kissing and biting my neck. My hands clung to Shizuo's locks as he continued to be completely content on licking my neck. He seemed like a playful puppy, the way he was licking me.

Once Shizuo reached my collarbone, he seemed to restrain himself and pulled away from me. He ruffled my hair gently and I sat upright beside him. My face was red and Shizuo grinned at me in a happy manner. He kissed my cheek, which left me dazed for a few seconds. I leaned against Shizuo's stiff back, resting my head against his shoulder. My vision blurred, knowing that I was starting to feel tired. Shizuo noticed my nodding off, picking me up and slowly pulling back the sheets. He gently placed me down on the mattress, making certain to cover my body. He then crawled next to me, wrapping me up in his arms. I felt Shizuo press his chest against my back, his bangs tickling my neck as I drifted off to sleep.


	14. Finding Love in All the Wrong Places

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **WARNING: This chapter contains lemon and sexual content. Reader discretion is advised - unless you're into that sort of thing!**** This chapter is set at least one year after Rei starts staying with Shizuo and she hasn't spoken to Izaya since. Izaya, feeling betrayed, "invites" Rei to his new apartment in Shinjuku (like the one in the anime/manga). Enjoy reading, fellow humans!

Finding Love in All the Wrong Places

"It's been quite a while since you last saw me, Rei," Izaya said with a smile. "It's been a little over a year, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, so what!?" I scoffed, Izaya's eyes glanced at me. I glanced around the room of Izaya's new apartment in Shinjuku. Izaya was sitting in front of me, and I was bound to a chair. "Why did you bring me here?"

"No particular reason. So, I was wondering how you and Shizu-chan were," Izaya leaned in closer towards me. "I also wanted to witness your reaction as a human being. However, besides Shizu-chan, you are the only other person I can't seem to completely figure out!"

"So, what!? I'm like a little guinea pig for your 'experiment', right!?"

"Technically speaking, yes," Izaya's eyes lit up as he said this. "I also wanted to take you somewhere. Think of it as a 'date' of sorts."

"You practically drugged me, told Celty to bring me here, tied me up, and you want ME to go on a DATE with YOU!?" I barked back at Izaya. "You have got to be fucking kidding me!"

"Not really," Izaya smiled as he wrapped his arm across my shoulders. "I want to prove something to you. Not only that, but I just adore your face right now! Filled with such malice! Full of anger and disgust! It's killing me!"

"Any normal person would hold a grudge against someone whom ties them up and forces them to do things against their will!"

"Now that's just plain rude!" Izaya grinned as he backed away from me, sitting in his chair he sat in front of me. "Calling me out on kidnapping you! I had done nothing of the sort!"

"YES, you DID!" I glared into Izaya's reddish-brown eyes. "In fact, I recall that it was you who drugged me, you God damn son of a -!"

"Not even close, Rei," Izaya placed a finger under my chin, cutting me off. "You seem to have grown more beautiful since the last time I saw you. Not just that, but you colored your hair, too!"

I gave Izaya a dirty look. The grin on Izaya's face grew into a smirk of joy.

"Do you hate me now? Are you disgusted by the fact that I had been playing you like a mere pawn this whole time? Or are you satisfied that I didn't do anything when it comes to torturing you in the slightest?"

I just sat there, letting Izaya rub his cruel fingertips across my skin. I tried to stare him down the best of my ability, but Izaya didn't even flinch, not the slightest inch or even centimeter!

"You're not going to make this fun for me, are you?" Izaya cocked his head to the side, his voice taunting me to yell at him, but I held my tongue back. "If that's the case, I'll just have to talk for you, but that would get boring quickly. You know, I have a better idea!"

Izaya leaned close to me, forcefully pushing his lips against mine. My eyes were open and wild, feeling Izaya gently bite my lower lip. I then bit his lip and felt blood spill from his lip a few seconds later. I almost headbutt him, if Izaya had not have backed away at the last second.

"You've become a force to be reckoned with, haven't you?" Izaya taunted me, licking away the blood and pinching my nose. I held a wince back, afraid of what Izaya would do if I did. "You're just like Shizu-chan! One moment, you're as dumbfounded as an ox, and the next, you're as sharp as a whip! It's unbearable! To think that a monster like Shizu-chan tamed a girl like you!"

"He had done nothing of the sort!" I snapped back in a blind rage. "He didn't even touch me!"

"I doubt it," Izaya's lips curled up into a crooked smile. "I can tell just by looking at you that he had, which is ANOTHER reason as to why I hate Shizu-chan so much! You can't fool me. Hell, I've seen through your charade this whole time!"

"I'm telling you the truth, Izaya," I growled as Izaya began rubbing my hair between his fingers. "If I HAD done that stuff with Shizuo, you would've been the first one to know about it!"

"You are right about that," Izaya smirked, folding his arms across his chest. "FIRST, I wanted to get something straight: I want to take you somewhere."

"Yeah, you mentioned that after you kidnapped me..." I moaned, my voice full of sarcasm.

"Well, I ACTUALLY wanted to take you here!"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously," Izaya nodded. He then took his switchblade from his pocket and flicked open the blade. Izaya then got up from his chair, walked behind my chair, and started to undo my bindings with his knife. "I'm going to let you go, but not BEFORE you do something for me."

"What are you talking about?" I rubbed my wrists as Izaya walked in front of me, putting his blade back in his pocket.

"I want to make you a little deal," Izaya rested his hands on my shoulders. "Now, if you'll follow me, please."

 _How can I trust him after all he's done!? I can tell that he's setting me up, but what for!?_

I followed Izaya anyway, but I kept my guard up, just in case Izaya tried to pull a crazy stunt on me. Izaya had led me to an unlocked door, beyond his main room in his apartment. It wasn't the front door, that door was in the opposite direction. Izaya had a subtle grin on his face as he turned the door knob. I closed my eyes, feeling Izaya's hand brush against mine. I heard the door creak open, noticing Izaya grasp my hand and pull me in his direction. I kept my eyes closed, feeling Izaya lift me up and toss me onto a soft mattress and bedsheets. My eyes shot open, seeing Izaya on top of me.

"W-wait, Izaya," I whimpered, feeling Izaya's hand caress my cheek. "Please, DON'T do this!"

"I'm sorry, Rei," Izaya smirked, leaning forward and pressed his body against mine. "I've been holding myself back all this time, but not anymore!"

I closed my eyes, feeling Izaya's tongue brush against my neck. I was disgusted with myself, as I let a moan escape my lips. Izaya then got off of me, stripping off his black shirt. Izaya had gotten back on top of me, a maniacal grin on his face. He leaned closer towards me, kissing every inch of skin that wasn't hidden by my clothing. I felt Izaya slip a hand under my shirt, rubbing my stomach and torso.

"Izaya, stop this, please," I begged. "I don't want this, and I know that you don't either!"

Izaya just ignored me and continued to kiss my skin. I felt Izaya's teeth graze my skin, slowly sinking into me, leaving behind a bite mark on my neck. I tried to move my body away from Izaya's, but he just continued to pull me ever so slightly closer towards his. Almost out of instinct, I dug my fingers into Izaya's black hair, hearing him whine in pain. He kissed my skin, up until Izaya had left red bite marks all over my body. Noticing Izaya's sly smile, I shut my eyes, seeing nothing but darkness. I felt Izaya pull my body up and felt my shirt being stripped from me. Izaya began to kiss my stomach and upper body, until he reached my bra. He stopped for a moment, and lifted his body from mine. I heard the sudden open of a nearby door, then suddenly heard it slam shut. I opened my eyes to witness that Izaya as gone, possibly in the bathroom. I took this opportunity to pull myself together, slowly getting up and off is Izaya's bed. I grabbed my shirt and quickly threw it on. I slowly made my way towards the door, hearing the sudden creaking sound of a door opening. I dared myself not to look back, and I had a shaking hand on the doorknob. I then felt a warm hand shield my eyes, and another tug on my hand against the doorknob. I tried to fight back against Izaya, but my efforts were futile and only seemed to excite him even more. He instead pushed my body against the door and locked it tightly. He kissed and bit at my neck and took off my shirt once again. I was disgusted with myself, blushing when Izaya began to bite my back and unhooking my bra.

I felt Izaya's strong arms pick me up and laid me on my back against his bed. His bangs tickled my neck with each kiss he gave me against my collarbone. I was quivering like a small child, feeling Izaya expose my chest. He then began to touch and lick at my breasts, making me moan louder and louder with each touch. I then witnessed Izaya slowly pull down my knee-length skirt, dragging my panties along with the piece of fabric. I instinctively covered myself, but Izaya just pulled my arms away and spread my legs apart. I melted as I felt Izaya's gentle fingers slowly dug inside of me, causing me to moan loudly.

"Rei, you don't have to hold your voice back," Izaya chuckled, leaning his body against mine and kissing my stomach and chest. I dug my fingers into Izaya's locks, moaning again and again, feeling a warm sensation well up inside of my body. "Seeing you like this, it's so adorable! So cute!"

"S-s-s-shut up...!" I snapped in between moans. Izaya pressed his fingers inside of me even deeper, letting a scream erupt from my throat. "Y-you bastard! Why ME!? Why not some other girl!? Tell me!"

"It's basically because you're the only one I want," Izaya purred, pulling out his fingers and handling his pants. "You're voice and body really shows just how much you've truly missed me!"

"S-shut up!" I yelled back, my fingers dug into the bed sheets. "Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT UP OR I'LL KILL YOU, YOU GOD DAMNED SON OF A BITCH!"

"How are you going to do that," Izaya taunted, pulling down his boxers and making me blush, seeing his member. "When I'm deep inside of you?"

"Izaya, please, DON'T DO THIS!" I moaned, feeling Izaya's member rubbing against my womanhood. "This is wrong, and you know it! You know I'm with Shizuo Heiwajima now! If he finds out, he'll-"

"He won't find out!" Izaya positioned himself at my entrance, fondly holding my hips. "When I'm done with you, you won't tell a soul, capiche?"

"Izaya, I'm begging you," I cried, tears filling my eyes. "Please, STOP!"

"I'll present you with a gift," Izaya smirked, leaning closer towards my body. "A gift of pleasure; something everyone yearns for. I know you yearn for the respect you deserve and the feeling of someone paying attention to you and only you. Isn't that right?"

Izaya gently planted a kiss on my stomach, and repositioned himself at my womanhood. I tightly shut my eyes, feeling the tears well up and spill out. I bit my lip to keep myself from moaning. I dug my fingers into the bedsheets, bracing myself for what Izaya was going to do.

"Since you are a virgin, this'll definitely hurt," Izaya taunted, rubbing his member against my lower regions. "I'll try to make your first time as painless as possible, but no promises!"

Izaya gripped onto my hips and forcefully pushed himself inside of me. I let a loud moan escape from my throat, focusing on the pain. My eyes snapped open and widened in horror, feeling Izaya press himself deeper and deeper inside of me, until nothing was left. I rubbed my head and buried it in the sheets, feeling a tearing sensation in my lower regions. Tears spilled from my eyes, causing another loud moan to escape from my lips.

"You're a bastard...," I smashed my teeth together, feeling my jaw clench tight. I tried to move, but that only made the pain worse. "If you REALLY love me, you would let me go!"

"I can't do that," Izaya purred, leaning his body against mine and licked my skin. The pain intensity rose the more Izaya moved. "You belong to me now, my darling little lamb. Tonight, I'll make you feel so good, you'll practically be drooling when I'm done with you!"

"S-s-shut the...hell up...!" I snarled back. Izaya scooped me up in his arms, being extra careful not to pull out, and let me lean my head against his neck. "You...really are...a selfish...bastard...!"

"How am _I_ the selfish one?" Izaya scoffed, stroking my back with one hand and holding me steady with the other. "Look at that... You're already drooling!"

I didn't notice my saliva dripping down my cheek and onto Izaya's neck until he mentioned it. I was so caught up in my pain, I didn't call any attention to it. I wrapped my arms around Izaya's neck, out of fear - and I wanted to wipe the spit off my lip. I then began to soak up Izaya's scent, kissing his neck and rubbing my fingers through his hair. I decided to dare myself, taking a tender piece of Izaya's skin in between my teeth, sucking and rubbing my tongue against the piece of flesh. I let the piece of skin go, noticing a bright red mark appear almost instantly on Izaya's handsome throat.

"Rei, that tickled," Izaya whispered in my ear. "You seem to be enjoying yourself, my dear girl! I never knew how ruthless you were! You never cease to amaze me!"

All of a sudden, the pain in my lower regions began to fade away without warning. Izaya slowly laid my body down against the mattress below, slowly letting a moan escape from his lips. I moved my hips by accident, causing both me and Izaya to moan in unison. Izaya's smirk widened, forcing himself to grip onto my hips tighter. I took a few sharp breaths, feeling Izaya suddenly thrust in and out of my entrance rapidly. My body began to burn up and the pit in my stomach began to tighten with each thrust Izaya gave me. I let several moans escape my lips, causing Izaya to pick up his pace. I moved my hips to meet one of Izaya's thrusts by accident, feeling Izaya hit something inside of me, causing my vision to go white for an instant.

"I-Izaya... Do... that again..." I moaned loudly, my grip on the sheets becoming tighter. "You... You hit...something...inside me... Please, do it...again!"

The pain that I once felt before was now replaced by an odd, but rather sensational tickling feeling of ecstasy and pleasure. I looked up at Izaya, seeing him nod, and slowly feeling him pull out, being careful to leave the tip inside. Izaya repositioned himself and suddenly began to hit my sweet spot with his member over and over and over again, for what felt like an eternity. I was withering and moaning in complete bliss. My body burned like a fire, caught up in ecstasy and pleasure molded into one. Both Izaya and I were panting in sync like dogs without water like crazy. My chest felt tight and the pain in my stomach began to tighten and loosen in rhythm with each of Izaya's thrusts.

"Rei, you're so damn tight," Izaya moaned loudly. "Haven't you ever heard of loosening up a little!?"

"S-shut up...!" I moaned in between Izaya's hard thrusts. "When you say things like that, I-"

Feeling Izaya pick up the pace and thrust harder and deeper inside of me cut me off and I lost my trail of thought. Izaya continued to thrust inside of me until my insides began to tighten around Izaya's hard member.

"Izaya, I think I'm done," I gasped, feeling sweat drip from my forehead. "I can't take anymore! My body is going to-!"

"Rei, I think I'm reaching my limit-!" Izaya cut me off, his tone of voice full of concern. "I'm about to-!"

My eyes widened, feeling Izaya suddenly release his warm seed inside of my insides. Izaya pulled himself out completely, collapsing next to me. Izaya leaned over my face, brushing my bangs to the side before planting a kiss on my cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Rei," Izaya's eyes softened, panting for air. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's not your fault," I kissed Izaya's lips back, stroking his hair gently.

"This IS my fault," Izaya moaned, pulling my quivering body closer. "Now, Shizu-chan has yet ANOTHER reason to hate me... but I really don't care!"

I was so tightly wound up in Izaya, I had completely lost track of time. I glanced up at the clock in confusion, Izaya noticing my gaze and looking over at the clock on the wall. It felt like hours, but in reality, it had only been at least twenty minutes...

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 **AUTHORS ENDING NOTE:** Hello, those of you who braved through this little chapter. (Well, not REALLY little, but, you all know what I mean!) Anyways, if you guys liked this chapter, feel free to comment on it or write a review! If NOT, then I only have a few words to share with you...: **FUCK YOU! THIS IS MY STORY AND I CAN DO WHATEVER THE HELL I WANT!** HAHAHAHAHA! I'm just kidding, you guys! I'm not THAT heartless! But seriously though, continue to follow and support this story. Who knows where this will end up!? Anyways, I love you guys and I hope to see you in the next chapter! Be safe, and good luck!

~HanakoWolf1717~


	15. Letting the Cat Out of the Bag

Letting the Cat Out of the Bag

I couldn't bring myself to tell Shizuo about what Izaya had done over two weeks ago. He could tell that something wasn't quite right about me, and forced me to see Shinra. I didn't want to, but Shizuo said it was for my own good. Now that I'm here facing Shinra, I'm shaking uncontrollably. Shizuo was sitting beside me, and Shinra was sitting to the right of Shizuo.

"Rei won't tell me what's wrong with her, but I figured she might be willing to talk to you about it," Shizuo growled, patting my head. "Well, Shinra, can you get her to talk?"

"I can try," Shinra boasted. "Rei, do you want to talk in private?"

I softly nodded my head without saying a word. I got up off Shinra's couch and followed him into his bedroom for an examination. After a couple of tests, Shinra told me that it would be a few days until the results came back. So, for the time being, I stayed with Shizuo.

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"Hey, Rei," Shizuo asked me, looking down at me with soft eyes. "Why do you smell so much like Izaya? His scent is all over you, and it's pissing me off!"

"Well, I... I really don't know..." I mumbled.

"I can tell when your lying, you know," Shizuo stretched an arm across my shoulders. "Your face gets all red and you shrug off the question."

I looked up at Shizuo out the corner of my eye, seeing the concern on his face as he looked down at me. We both stayed like this until I leaned against Shizuo. My head landed on his chest, and he didn't seem to mind. I thought I saw him blush for a moment, but he patted my head and gave me a smile.

"Once your test results come back," Shizuo smiled. "How about I treat you to something special. Anything you want, just name it!"

"Shizuo, that's asking too much-" Shizuo cut me off by kissing my cheek.

"I don't care," Shizuo gave me a hug. "If that's what it takes to make you happy, then that's fine by me."

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A few days later, Shizuo and I got a phone call from Shinra. He sounded as though it was something serious, so Shizuo and I were on our merry little way to Shinra's apartment.

"You're not making any sense, Shinra," Shizuo growled as Shinra read off the results of my tests. "How could this happen...?! I NEVER did-!"

"Apparently, you DID," Shinra replied with a soft shrug. "But enough about THAT. All I have to say is: CONGRATULATIONS!"

I watched in awe as Shizuo grabbed the back of Shinra's lab coat and picked him up with one hand.

"Shinra, can I have a moment with you in private!?" Shizuo growled as he dragged Shinra behind him. I watched the two of them disappear for a moment. I just slumped in my seat, waiting for the two of them to end their feud. Once the two of them were finished arguing, I looked up at Shizuo with a weary smile. He sat down beside me, waving to Shinra to let him leave us alone for a while. After Shinra left, Shizuo making certain that the door was closed and locked behind him, Shizuo gave me a shallow smile.

"I KNOW that I didn't, but how else could you be-?" Shizuo gave me a worried look. "Unless, it..."

"Shizuo, what are you talking about!?" I swallowed hard, feeling Shizuo pull me in for a hug.

"You know damn well who I'm talking about!" Shizuo growled in anger. "It WAS that flea, wasn't it!? That damn Izaya Orihara...! I'll KILL HIM FOR THIS!"

"Shizuo..." I felt a tear stream down my cheek. "I'm so sorry for not telling you... It's just that I-!"

"You don't have to say another word, Rei," Shizuo hugged me again. "I told you before, remember? I'll always be here for you, no matter what!"

"Shizuo, can you do me a favor?" I asked Shizuo as he ended our hug. "I at least want to tell Izaya about this. I want to see his reaction, and learn the truth as to WHY he'd done this to me."

Shizuo gave me a dumbfounded look, but decided it would be best if I told Izaya what I know now. So, later that afternoon, Shizuo took me to Izaya's apartment in Shinjuku.

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I was nervous, finding myself frozen on Izaya's doorstep. I rang the doorbell, and told Shizuo to stay in the hallway until I was finished talking to Izaya. He growled at me in agreement, and stayed put as Izaya opened the door. He sat me down on the couch and set a warm cup of tea across from me on the coffee table below. He took up the couch cushion next to me and gave me handsome eyes.

"So, Rei, how have you been since I saw you last?" Izaya smiled. "Are you and Shizu-chan doing well?"

"That's not why I'm here," I gave Izaya a concerned glance. "Izaya, there's... something that I need to tell you... It's been bugging me for the past few hours..."

"Well, what is it? You know that you can tell me-"

"Izaya, would you shut up and listen to me for a minute?!" I yelled frantically. Izaya got quiet, and leaned in to hear what I had to say. "Izaya, I'm...pregnant."

"WHAT!?" Izaya growled. "You can't be serious?!"

"I'm serious! I'm NOT joking, either!" I snapped back. "Shinra told me earlier today. I don't care whether or not you're going to be there for me, because I already KNOW that Shizuo will be more than happy to take your place!"

"You must have me confused with someone else," Izaya gave me a pat on the head. "Besides, you know how I practically raised my younger twin sisters, right? You've seen for yourself how they've turned out. However, with you, it's different."

"So, what do you want me to tell Shizuo?" I mumbled. "If you want to help me out with this, that's fine. I honestly don't care either way."

"Why would you think that!?" Izaya gave me a warm smile, but I shrugged it off. "You know that I honestly don't care WHAT a monster like Shizu-chan thinks! He's a beast that's slowly and subsequently eating away at you. I can tell by the way you've been fixated on the door this entire time. You should honestly care less about Shizu-chan at this point. Instead, you should be thinking about this child's future."

"You're wrong, but you're right, too," I felt Izaya's arm wrap around my shoulders. "Besides, with this baby in your life, everything will change-even if it's not for the better."

"Wrong, again, Rei," Izaya placed a warm hand on my abdomen. "I'm saying that I want to be with you, but I feel as though my personality might ruin this child's life. I'll be willing to do whatever I can to help you take care of this child."

"I sure as hell hope so," I shook off Izaya's grip on my shoulder, stood up, and made my way towards the door.

Once I was at the door and about to turn the knob, Izaya stopped me in my tracks, slamming a hand against the door. I spun around, Izaya inching closer towards me.

"You of all people should know more than anyone," Izaya's face was just inches from mine. "How much I absolutely love you, Rei. As well as our child, right?!"

I gave Izaya a glare, and I noticed that Izaya returned my gesture with a soft smile across his face. He slowly planted a kiss on my cheek and backed away from me. I turned the doorknob, and opened the squeaky door. I noticed Shizuo Heiwajima on the other side of the door, creeping out carefully, so as not to let Shizuo see Izaya. Once I was on Izaya's doorstep once again, I slammed the door behind me, grabbing Shizuo's hand in a tight grip. I pulled him in the direction of the streets, but Shizuo didn't budge. I looked at him from over my shoulder, seeing a concerned gleam in his mocha irises. I felt Shizuo's grip on my hand tighten, feeling like he could snap the bones in my hand into shattered pieces at any moment.

"What did that pesky little flea want?" Shizuo's voice was full of concern and a hint of anger. "Does he know that your pregnant? Does he even want this child?!"

"He said that he'd think about it," I yanked and pulled at Shizuo's arm, trying to make him move again. "Can we go now? I'm not feeling to well."

"Yeah, I guess so," Shizuo scratched the back of his head and began to pull me in the direction of the street. "If you want me to carry you, just ask."

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I was laying on Shizuo's bed, feeling Shizuo lay beside me. He patted my forehead, and kissed my cheek. I slowly sat up and brushed Shizuo's bangs away from his handsome eyes. I felt Shizuo rub a gentle hand against my abdomen, as I was looking down at him and smiling.

"Rei, why do you like me so much?" Shizuo asked, getting up and sitting beside me. "Have you made a decision as to who is going to help you raise this child?"

"I like you for many reasons, Shizuo," I kissed his cheek. "And... I still haven't decided yet. I want both you and Izaya to help me, but it just scares me..."

"What does?"

"Everything," I felt Shizuo kiss my cheek again. "Just the thought of this child growing inside of me scares me. I don't know what to do! I'm worried, Shizuo!"

"I know you're scared," Shizuo pulled me in for a warm hug. "I'm scared, too. I promise that I'll work hard to make you and this child's future happy. I solemnly swear to you, I'll do whatever it takes!"

"Thank you very much, Shizuo," I kissed Shizuo's lips gently. "I'll try to help you in any way I can to help keep this promise."

"You don't have to do that," Shizuo gave me a scowl. "Let me be the one to take care of both of you, please?"

I was overwhelmed by both Izaya's and Shizuo's helping hands. My body began to feel warm, and I felt Shizuo's arms that were wrapped around me slowly pull away. I then felt Shizuo place his forehead against mine, making me blush.

"You're beautiful when you get flustered," Shizuo smiled. "You feel rather warm... I'm starting to worry."

"I'm fine, Shizuo," I patted Shizuo's shoulders. "I'm not sick."

"Did the flea give you anything to eat or drink?" Shizuo backed away, scratching his hair. "Anything at all?"

"He gave me some tea, but I didn't drink it," I let my body fall backwards, letting my head rest against the cold pillow. I let a low cough escape my throat, making my throat warm and parched.

"DAMN! You ARE sick, aren't you!?" Shizuo brushed his hand against my forehead and cheeks. "This is bad... I'll go get you some water. I'll be right back."

I watched Shizuo get up and walk away into the dark hallway. A few moments later, he returned with a glass of ice water in his hands.

"Drink it slowly," Shizuo handed me the glass. "I don't want you to choke. I'll go see if I have any medicine in the cabinet. If you get any worse, I'll take you to Shinra or a hospital."

Shizuo went into the bathroom to the right, and began to search for medicine to help me sleep.

"I'm sorry, Rei, but I don't have anything I can give you," Shizuo growled under his breath. "It says not to give this to women who are pregnant."

"That's okay, Shizuo! I don't need anything!" I gave Shizuo a smile. "If I feel worse, we can call Shinra, okay?"

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 **AUTHOR'S ENDING NOTE:** I hope that all of you readers out there really enjoyed this chapter! I just hope that Rei doesn't end up in a horrible situation! But, then again, it is MY story! Anyway, I hope to see you all in the next one! HanakoWolf1717, signing off for now!

~HanakoWolf1717~


	16. Baby Pains

Baby Pains

I was bedridden for the next few days, and both Shizuo and I were worried about the baby. Naturally, Shinra and Celty came over to take a look at me and help out in anyway they could. Shizuo stayed my side, holding my hand firmly. My breathing became light and shallow, feeling Shinra's cold hands brush against my body.

"How long has she been like this, Shizuo?" Shinra looked over at the blonde.

"About three days," Shizuo gripped my hand tighter. "I've never seen her like this... It worries me, Shinra."

"I understand how you feel," Shinra patted Shizuo's back. "I mean, you ARE going to be a father soon! Hahaha!"

"I TOLD YOU BEFORE, IT'S NOT MY CHILD!" Shizuo growled, tightening his grip on my hand.

I let a low shriek of pain escape my lips, careful not to let anyone notice I was crying. Shizuo didn't seem to notice that he was hurting me, but once I squeaked, he loosened his grip on my hand.

"Her symptoms are fever, coughing, and nausea, but the nausea is to be expected," Shinra gave me a concerned smile. "Knowing Rei, she'll get over it soon. Also, the baby is doing just fine. I have some medicine for the time being. It won't hurt the baby in any way, Shizuo. No need to worry!"

"Thank god," Shizuo smiled at me. I felt Shizuo rub his hand against my abdomen, making me blush. "I'm so happy that both of you are going to be okay! Shinra, thank you."

"No need to thank me," Shinra blushed, scratching his head nervously. "It's my job. I take care of people that need medicine, and I give it to them."

"Well, thanks anyway," Shizuo smiled at Shinra. "How often am I supposed to have Rei take this medicine?"

"One pill twice a day," Shinra gave me another smile. "One as soon as she wakes up, and another before she goes to sleep in the evening. If her symptoms seem to get worse, take her to a hospital."

"I will, Shinra," Shizuo growled. "I'm not as stupid as I look, you know!?"

"I know," Shinra replied, walking out the doorway. "I just like messing with you! Well, bye now!"

With that, Shinra and Celty left. Shizuo stayed by my bedside, placing a cold rag on my forehead.

"That feels...so nice, Shizuo," I mumbled in a low tone. "Thank you for taking such good care of me."

"No need to thank me," Shizuo brushed my bangs to the side. "I've got to take care of the one I love, right? We have to make sure that this child is healthy, too. Now, get some rest."

"Okay, Shizuo," I mumbled, feeling exhausted.

Shizuo covered me up in the warm blanket and sat on my bedside, watching me sleep. My vision blurred, and I feel fast asleep.

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Once I began to take my medicine, I felt much better. I still wasn't quite 100% back to normal, but Shizuo sure was happy to see that I was improving.

"The color in your face is starting to come back," Shizuo gave me a soft smile. "That's a good sign. I'm actually surprised that you've been able to keep that medicine down, feeling nauseous and all."

"I'm NOT nauseous!" I blushed, poking Shizuo's cheek with my finger. I felt a sudden lump in my throat and tried to relax, covering my mouth with my hand. "Now that you mention it, I do feel nauseated all of a sudden."

"Here," Shizuo passed me a small trash can. "I don't want vomit all over the bed. If you feel sick like this, just tell me."

Shizuo stroked my back and had a concerned look on his face, watching me get sick. I vomited into the trash can, and I felt a little better. Shizuo gave me a paper towel to wipe my mouth, and continued to stroke my back gently.

"You're going to be okay, Rei," Shizuo kissed my cheek. "I'm right here."

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"I think that it's safe to say that both the mother and child are doing well," Shinra gave me a warm smile. "I'm awfully glad!"

"I am, too," Izaya poked my cheek. "I'm just glad to see that that beast hasn't killed my child yet."

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?" Shizuo roared at the top of his lungs. "I'VE BEEN THE ONE TAKING CARE OF REI FOR THE PAST THREE MONTHS! YOU PESKY LITTLE-!"

"Shizuo, THAT'S quite ENOUGH!" I gave Shizuo a scowl. "Let him be, okay?"

"Fine," Shizuo pouted, sitting to my left.

"THAT'S a sight to see," Izaya laughed. "To think that Rei had trained a monster like Shizu-chan is-!"

"Izaya, the same goes for you!" I glanced over at Izaya, who was sitting to my right. "Just shut up and let Shinra do his job, PLEASE!?"

Izaya growled as he slumped in his seat. Shinra cleared his throat and continued.

"Anyway, it seems as though that the baby is healthy. I don't have any abnormalities to report!" Shinra smiled in a happy manner. "If only Celty would have a child with me. It would make me so happy, I'd-!"

Celty began to get agitated and wrapped her shades of shadows around Shinra's mouth.

"Sorry about that," Celty 'sighed'. "Anyway, Rei, have you decided on a name for the baby yet?"

"It's too early to tell whether or not if it's going to be a boy or a girl," Izaya growled at Celty. "We still have a few more months until we can determine the baby's gender."

"I'm sorry, Izaya," Celty began to get agitated again. "But did I ask you!? No, no I didn't!"

"Izaya, please, be quiet and behave yourself..." I gave Izaya another glare. "One more outburst, and I'll let Shizuo beat you!"

"Feisty," Izaya smirked as he began wrapping my hair around his fingertips. "I love that about you!"

"Let go of her, Flea!" Shizuo growled.

"Or what!? You'd kill me?" Izaya slipped a blade against Shizuo's throat. "I'll cut your throat open before you had a chance to lay one finger on me."

"THAT'S IT!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "BOTH OF YOU OUTSIDE, NOW!"

I got up and dragged Shizuo and Izaya along with me. Once we were outside, I began scolding both of them.

"What the hell is wrong with you two, huh!?" I glanced between Izaya Orihara and Shizuo Heiwajima. "You two are acting like brats! If you two can't get along, then neither of you can see the baby after its born!"

"Rei, you can't-" Shizuo looked down at me.

"Yes, I can!" I gave Shizuo a scowl. "Don't even think your off the hook, either, Izaya!"

"Shit!" Izaya growled as I grabbed his sleeve, watching him trying to leave out the corner of my eye. "You can't be serious!?"

"Does it look like I'm serious!?"

"Not really. You actually look cute when your mad!"

"Anyway, enough of this," I mumbled to myself. "Let's just go back inside. I'm starting to get hungry."

Once we were inside Shinra's apartment once again, we all sat down for a nice home cooked meal. Celty made it special, even though I thought that it tasted rather odd, it was good nevertheless.

"Are you coming home with me or the flea?" Shizuo asked me afterwards.

"You need a break from me for a while," I grinned up at Shizuo. "I'll be with Izaya for a little while, okay?"

"Well, if you need anything, let me know, okay?"

"Okay," I pulled Shizuo in for a hug. "I'll see you in a little while!"

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I packed up my things and left for Izaya's apartment in Shinjuku. Of course, Shizuo went with me just in case something went wrong. Once I was inside Izaya's apartment, I sat down on the couch. It seemed as though that Izaya was not in the living room, so I took a look around.

I took notes in my mind where everything was, including things in the cabinets. Just then, I heard the sound of a door nearby open. I walked away from the kitchen, and noticed Izaya walking out of his bedroom with a towel around his neck and his pants on.

"Rei, welcome!" Izaya smiled and patted my head gently. "It must feel nice to be home, right!?"

"Don't ask," I growled. "I'm not in a mood to deal with you right now."

"You seem upset," Izaya cocked his head to the side. "Let me guess, Shizu-chan pissed you off?"

"He knows how difficult this is for me!" I began to cry uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry, Izaya!"

"You have no right to be sorry," Izaya patted my back and pulled me in for a hug. "You're going to be with me for a while. I'll keep you company as long as I can."

"That's right," I mumbled, taking in Izaya's scent. "I forgot that you have a job during the day."

"How else am I supposed to pay for the baby?" Izaya gave me a slightly annoyed growl. "On top of that, I have to pay for this apartment. And when our child gets old enough, we will have to make certain that they get a good education."

"You're right," I smiled. "I feel somewhat tired. Do you mind if I sleep in your bed?"

"I don't mind," Izaya blushed. "Follow me, okay?"

I nodded and followed Izaya. He set me down in bed and covered me up. He stayed by my bedside until I fell asleep.


	17. Baby Izaya Melodrama

Baby + Izaya = Melodrama

I stayed with Izaya for quite some time. It was roughly two months, and Izaya seemed to go back and forth between me and work constantly. It began to irritate me, so, naturally, I asked him about it.

"Izaya, do you care more about work than me or something?" My voice was trembling.

"Why would you think something like that?!" Izaya patted my head. "If it's bothering you, I take my day off tomorrow. We could do whatever you like."

"It's just that, you're gone most of the time," my body was trembling now, and Izaya embraced me in a hug. "What if something happens to me when your gone!? It scares me!"

"I'll just have to cut my work in half then," Izaya shrugged, kissing my cheek. "I promise, okay?"

Izaya let me go and extended a warm hand to me. I took his hand in mine and nodded in agreement. I began to feel much better, considering how awkward it was when I noticed what Izaya did next...

"Do you think it's a girl or a boy?" Izaya said, gently resting his head against my rounded stomach. "Have you even thought of a name yet?"

"Not yet," I tussled Izaya's hair between my fingers. "I do know that I want our child's name to have meaning, though."

"So, you have been thinking?"

"Of course, Izaya," I giggled. "I've been thinking about a name for our baby for quite some time now. I think that after we see our newborn, we will finally have a name."

"You think so, huh?" Izaya scoffed. "What if this child hates me?"

"Izaya, that's not going to happen," I gave Izaya a smile.

"How do you know!? How do you know that our child won't end up hating me!?"

"I know that you're going to be a good father, that's why."

"Still not reasonable enough for me!" Izaya sat up and pouted.

I patted his head in a playful manner to get Izaya out of his irritable mood. It seemed to work, because Izaya gave me a smile and a kiss on my cheeks.

We were startled by a loud knocking sound from the other side of the main door. Izaya got up to answer it and to my surprise, it was Celty.

"What do you want, Dullahan?" Izaya asked in an agitated tone.

"Izaya, be nice!" I growled at Izaya out the corner of my lips. "Celty, why are you here at this hour? Is something wrong at home?"

"Nothing is wrong," Celty gave me a 'smile'. "I do have a question to ask the both of you. It's not just me, Shinra is waiting outside. I didn't want him to overwhelm you, Rei..."

"I don't mind," I motioned to Izaya to let Shinra inside. "What was it that you two wanted to ask us?"

"Rei! It's so good two see you again!" Shinra gave me a warm hug and a comfortable smile to match. "Celty, have you asked them, yet?"

"I thought we were going to do that together, so I waited for you."

"Well, the reason as to why we are both here is to ask about the baby," Shinra gave me an excited smile. "We wanted to know if we could be the child's 'Aunt Celty' and 'Uncle Shinra'?"

"I'd be happy to give both of you an equal opportunity to see our child!" I was grinning from ear to ear as I said this.

Izaya, on the other hand, wasn't too thrilled about it...

"Rei, are you crazy!?" Izaya gave me an agitated look. "Are you saying that you want Celty and Shinra Kishitani of ALL PEOPLE to help watch over our CHILD!?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying!"

"All this baby nonsense has gone to your head, hasn't it!?" Izaya poked at my head like a cat trying to swat a fly.

"No, but it's certainly gone to yours, you jerk! I'm just trying to be nice to our friends!"

"Calm down, you two... PLEASE!?" Shinra said in a low voice. "Celty, could you separate them for a moment?"

In an instant, Izaya was swallowed up by Celty's shadows and was tossed to the other side of the room. The shadows had him pinned against the wall.

"You're going to stay that way until you apologize properly to Rei!" Shinra growled at Izaya from across the room. "Now, where were we?"

"I don't mind you two watching our child," I smiled. "I think that the more help we get in raising our child, the better!"

"Rei, what the hell!?" Izaya yelled from the opposite side of the room. "Have you gone completely mad!?"

"Celty, could you possibly shut his mouth while you're at it?" I looked over at the Dullahan.

"Okay! I'm sorry, Rei! I'm SORRY!" Izaya's voice was startling. He sounded all choked up and sincere for once. "I take it all back! Celty, PLEASE! You have to understand!"

"Celty, let him go," I gave the Dullahan a gentle smile. "He apologized, and that's enough for me."

"But, Rei," Celty gave me a 'confused look'. The shadows surrounding Izaya suddenly vanished in an instant. "I understand. Sorry about that, Izaya..."

"That's quite all right, Celty," Izaya got up and sat next to me, pulling out his knife from his pocket. "You were just trying to protect Rei, just like me. That's half of the reason as to why I carry this blade with me. The other reason is a secret."


	18. Snow-like Angel

Snow-like Angel

For the next few weeks, I continued to go back ad forth between staying with Shizuo and Izaya. I was close towards the end of my pregnancy, and Izaya began to feel worried about me. I told him that I felt fine, but he said that I had become restless these past few days. It didn't seem to effect me, so I just shrugged it off and continued to enjoy my time with Izaya Orihara.

"Rei, are you okay," Izaya tilted his head to the side, noticing the expression on my face. "You seem awfully upset about something?"

"Huh, I'm fine," I faked a smile. "It's just that...I can feel the baby kicking."

"Really!?" Izaya placed his head on my rounded stomach. "WHOA! You're right. That's so weird!"

"I think the baby is trying to tell us something," I had a smile on my face. "Maybe he or she is trying to say that you're doing a good job so far being a father, Izaya?"

Just then, I felt the baby kick again.

"Maybe," Izaya blushed and rubbed my stomach gently. "Did you...?"

"Yeah, I felt the baby move again," I smiled at Izaya. "I guess the baby agrees with me?"

"I think that you might be right, Rei," Izaya slowly got up and sat beside me. "Anyway, how many more months do you have left?"

"I think that this is the last month, Izaya," I gave him a concerned look.

"Don't give me that look!" Izaya scoffed. "I'll be with you every step of the way when delivering the baby. I love you, Rei, and I'll always be here for you and our baby. I promise!"

"Thank you, Izaya," I rested my head on his shoulder. "Hearing you say that makes me feel much better."

"Well, I'm glad that you're happy."

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It was the beginning of winter when the time came for me to give birth. It scared me at the time, but now that I look back on it, it was one of the happiest days of my life...

"Izaya, I think...the baby's coming...!" I gave Izaya a concerned look as I felt the baby move inside me.

"Rei, are you serious!?" Izaya sprung up off the couch, gathering a duffel bag full of overnight clothes for the hospital. "All right, let's get going, then."

On our way to the hospital, Izaya made a few phone calls. I couldn't tell whom he was talking to, but I could tell that Izaya was somewhat calm and collected. Izaya held my hand the entire way to the hospital, nearly feeling my pain through me nearly crushing his hand in my own pain.

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The next thing I knew, I was inside a hospital room. I noticed Izaya was still holding my hand in his, making me feel safe. I then noticed Shinra Kishitani and Celty Sturluson next to Izaya. They seemed concerned but happy at the same time. The only person missing was Shizuo...but that was to be expected from Izaya.

"Rei, you're going to be okay," Shinra reassured me kindly. "Don't worry, I'm not here to deliver the baby. I'm just here to support you."

"Thanks, Shinra," I mumbled between contractions. "THIS REALLY HURTS!"

"I know, sweetheart," Izaya comforted me. "You'll just have to try and relax."

"HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO RELAX!?" I growled. "I'M HAVING A BABY HERE!"

"Damn, where's that doctor!?" Izaya looked around the room in confusion. "We don't have time to sit here and wait! SHINRA!?"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING, IZAYA! I'M NOT QUALIFIED TO DELIVER A BABY!" Shinra panicked. "What if I mess up...?"

"You won't mess up," Izaya gave Shinra a pat on the back with his hand that wasn't shattered by me. "You can do this!"

Shinra swallowed hard, and put on some gloves.

"Are you serious about this?" Shinra gave Izaya a concerned look.

Izaya nodded, forcing Celty to lean into Shinra.

"Shinra, please," Celty 'said'. "I've never seen a child being born before, and Rei and Izaya are counting on you. Please!"

"For you all, I'd do anything, right!?" Shinra agreed with Izaya. "Rei, are you certain that you want me to deliver your baby?"

"I DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A CHOICE, DO I!?" I cried out in pain.

"All right, then," Shinra tightened the gloves. "You're going to be just fine."

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After several hours of intense pain, tears came to my eyes when I heard a shrieking little cry. The cry began to get louder and louder, and finally, after so long, I got to see the first glimpse of my child.

"Congratulations," Shinra said with tears of joy in his eyes. "It's a little boy."

"Rei, I'm so happy for you," Celty 'cried'. "He's beautiful."

Shinra cleaned the infant's frail skin, swaddling him up in a fluffy blue blanket afterwards. Shinra then handed me the infant, and I smiled. He had Izaya's hair with a small portion of his bangs a light brown color. His eyes were green like mine with a tint of red around the iris like Izaya's. The infant looked up at me and yawned.

"Rei, he's perfect," Izaya smiled, letting the baby wrap his tiny fingers around Izaya's index finger, squeezing it tightly. "He's got a strong grip, though!"

"Hey, look," Shinra pointed towards the window behind Izaya. "It's snowing outside."

Watching the snow fall, I thought of the perfect name for our baby.

"I was finally able to think of a name for him," I gave Izaya a smile. "What about... 'Yukine'?"

"'Yukine', huh?" Izaya smiled. "It's perfect. Welcome to the world, Yukine."

The baby yawned again and began to fall asleep in my arms.

"Izaya, would you like to hold your son?" I asked politely.

"What!? Me, hold such a fragile little thing like him!? What if I drop him or-!" Izaya panicked.

"Look, Izaya," Shinra patted Izaya's back. "If I can deliver a baby, you can hold one. It's easy! You just support the baby's head and neck with one hand, and support the rest of his body with the other."

"I guess I could give it a try..." Izaya replied.

Izaya gently took the infant from my arms and held him like Shinra told him. It was such a cute sight to see, and Izaya seemed so happy. I was crying out of joy, noticing how close Izaya had become towards his son already.

"WHERE IS SHE, YOU PESKY LITTLE FLEA!"

Everyone in the room suddenly froze and Izaya slowly handed me Yukine. Yukine began sniveling and cried.

"Shush, you're all right, Yukine," I tried to calm the wailing infant in my arms. "You're okay."

"Rei, are you all right!?" The door slammed open all of a sudden.

Shizuo Heiwajima stepped into the room, and he had an agitated look on his face.

"Shizuo, what a pleasant surprise!" Shinra was shaking uncontrollably, nervous that Shizuo was here. "Let's go outside for now, okay?"

"No, I want to see Rei and see for myself if she's okay!" Shizuo pushed Shinra to the side.

Yukine still hadn't stopped crying, and I was starting to feel worried about him. Once Shizuo saw that I was okay, he seemed to calm down. He noticed Yukine crying in my arms and smiled.

"What's his name?" Shizuo asked in a calm voice.

"'Yukine'," I replied with a smile.

"He's beautiful, except for the fact that he looks so much like Izaya..." Shizuo let Yukine take his fingers in his little hand. He seemed to calm down and stop crying after holding onto Shizuo's fingers.

"What's wrong with him looking so much like me, anyways!?" Izaya growled at Shizuo. "Am I not handsome enough for you, Shizu-chan?"

"Shut up!" Shizuo looked annoyed, but kept his cool when handling Yukine. "Is it alright if I hold him?"

"Yeah, just be gentle," I signed, giving Shizuo the tiny infant.

Yukine began to coo and drool in Shizuo's arms. He started sniveling and I began to get worried that he was going to cry. However, Shizuo gently kissed Yukine's soft head, making him laugh and giggle.

"Shizuo, how'd you do that!?" Shinra smiled in bewilderment. "You stopped him from crying."

"I'm not certain," Shizuo smiled down at Yukine, now asleep. "He seems to have taken quite a liking to me."

"He's so tiny and squishy," Celty smiled. "May I hold him?"

"I don't mind," I laughed. "Just be careful with him, Celty."

"I will," Shizuo handed Celty Yukine. "He certainly is cute!"

Just then, Yukine woke up and began to cry at the sight of the gentle Dullahan.

"He's crying," Celty began to worry. "What should I do!?"

"Here, Celty," Shinra took the infant from Celty's arms. "I'll give him back to his mother."

Shinra handed me back Yukine, who stopped crying once he was in my arms.

Just then, the door opened up once again. A few familiar faces stepped through the door, bringing gifts for not only me, but Yukine as well. Kyohei and his little group smiled at the sight of me holding Yukine in my arms.

"He's so adorable!" Erika gave me a big smile. "What's his name?"

"'Yukine'," I replied with a smile.

"It suits him!" Walker leaned into Yukine's face.

"Look, you two, don't get in the child's face!" Kyohei motioned to Erika and Walker, annoyed. "Rei, he's beautiful."

"Thank you, Kyohei," I smiled. "Saburo, would you like to see him?"

"Okay," Saburo smiled, looking down at Yukine, fast asleep. "He really is cute. He looks like Izaya in his face and hair."

"What's wrong with the way I look, huh!?" Izaya growled at Saburo.

"Nothing..." Saburo smiled jokingly.


End file.
